State services handling the case of a young teenager who killed his sister in 2018 in Larnaca appear to be in limbo now that he is coming to age and they must decide where to place him.
Up until now, the then 13-year-old who is diagnosed with serious mental health issues was under the supervision of his father and a child psychologist.
At the same time, all involved services – such as the Welfare Department, Mental Health Services and Police – also had a role to play, Philenews reports.
However, this case is unique for Cyprus even though there have been other ones in the past that had to be handled in a similar way because the minors concerned needed medical treatment.
In this case, the young man will soon come to age and won’t be under his father’s guardianship. The question now raised is whether he should continue being supervised – especially by a child psychiatrist.
Because, what happens if he refuses to be supervised? Can the state compel him to be supervised by a child psychiatrist? And if so, where should this be taking place?
There are no clear answers to these issues and this is where the state’s ineffectiveness to deal with minors who need hospitalization comes to light.
If the child psychiatrist decides that the young person should be supervised, then what options are there?
Confining him in the Mental Health Hospital for adults and serious cases in Athalassa, Nicosia district, is not a solution. Cyprus, however, still has no therapeutic institution for minors – especially ones with serious mental health problems.
