Prime suspect in mental patients abuse inquiry

Police officers investigating alleged abuse of mental patients are focusing on a prime suspect, although the possibility of others having been involved is not being excluded at this stage, sources told The Times.

It is still early to say whether the investigations will lead to an arraignment/s in connection with allegations of beatings, extra punishment and degrading treatment of patients at Mount Carmel Hospital in Attard.

It is understood that the alleged abuse took place over the past years and involved a number of patients recovering in the hospital's juvenile ward.

A handful of people were interrogated over the past days, with two being detained under arrest for further investigations. Both were eventually released, the sources said.

The case surfaced earlier this week when the nurses' union complained that two of its members were held in a lock-up during police interrogations. The Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses warned that if this had to happen again it would call the nurses at the Attard hospital to walk out in protest.

However, the police insisted no person in their custody was ill-treated. They explained that detaining people under arrest for further investigations was not out of the ordinary when probing a serious case.