Guest guest Posted October 12, 2008 Report Share Posted October 12, 2008 SCHIZOPHRENICS KILL `A PERSON A WEEK' Lucy Yates was badly hurt in store stabbing Sunday October 12,2008 By Kirsty Buchanan PARANOID schizophrenics stab to death at least one person every week because of mental healthcare failures, shocking new figures reveal. Far from being a rare event, as some argued, murders by patients who have stopped their medication or been released from hospital too early are running at 50 to 70 a year in England. /[> /[> The death toll has tripled in 20 years as more schizophrenics are left with the responsibility for taking their own anti-psychotic drugs. /[> /[> The care in the community failure is behind new Government orders that will allow doctors to force patients to take their medication – or face being sectioned again. /[> /[> Mental health charities fought against Community Treatment Orders, dubbing them as mental health Asbos. /[> /[> They say patients will be stigmatised by the orders, effective from November 3. /[> SEARCH UK NEWS for: /[> Howlett, director of The Zito Trust, warned yesterday that political correctness threatened to be taken more seriously than the public's safety. /[> /[> He said: "It is dangerous to underestimate the dangers a few individuals can pose if they are left untreated. /[> /[> "Organisations like the Mental Health Alliance underestimate the dangers because they don't work with the families of the victims." /[> /[> The Zito Trust was set up after musician Zito, aged 27, was stabbed to death by schizophrenic Clunis after he was released into the community in 1992. Most schizophrenics are not violent, and 2,000 a year commit suicide. /[> /[> But Mr Howlett said: "These attacks are so random and horrifying. /[> /[> "The victims are not just stabbed once or twice, we are talking about a frenzied attack. /[> /[> "The mental health field is focused on human rights. /[> /[> "We hear all the time this argument that fatalities are rare but we are talking about 50 to 70 deaths a year. I don't think that is rare at all." /[> /[> Just last month Lucy Yates, 20, was left fighting for her life after being stabbed 17 times while shopping in a Somerfield supermarket. /[> /[> The National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness found five per cent of murders were committed by schizophrenics. /[> /[> A spokeswoman for mental health charity Mind was unconvinced that CTOs offered greater protection. /[> /[> She said: "We are concerned they will sweep people into treatment unnecessarily, and could even scare some away from treatment." /[> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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