Indonesia: 13 mentally ill persons found chained, isolated at homes

[News_Editor]

Indonesia: 13 mentally ill persons found chained, isolated at homes

2012-01-04 08:24:04 GMT+7 (ICT)

PADANG ARO, INDONESIA (BNO NEWS) -- Social services in the Indonesian province of West Sumatra are investigating the cases of more than a dozen mentally ill people who were kept isolated and chained by their families for years, officials said on Tuesday.

Suwirman, a social services officer in the province, told the Antara news agency on Tuesday that at least 13 people who are mentally ill were found to have been shackled and isolated. They had been kept by their families because they had no money to seek help.

Some of the victims had been kept isolated, with no medical treatment or supervision, for as long as three years. The local government had previously told the families they were unable to offer assistance with medical treatment or hospital bills, although Suwirman's office has been providing families with food packages which contain rice, canned foods, noodles, and milk.

Of the 13 cases, seven were found in the Sangir subdistrict, three in Pauh Duo, two in Sangir Jujuan, and one in Koto Parik Gadang Diateh. The victims are aged between 18 and 39 years old, Antara reported.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2012-01-04