Cologne police on the lookout: prisoner who escaped from the clinic!

Cologne police on the lookout: prisoner who escaped from the clinic!

Today the Cologne police are making a name for themselves because they are urgently looking for a man who escaped from a forensic clinic in Porz. The incident occurred during an accompanied walk when the 38-year-old simply disappeared in a forest. According to a report by Radio Leverkusen The man is housed in a special facility, the penal system, where mentally ill or addicted criminals are treated.

What does that mean specifically? People are placed in such facilities if they are unable to take responsibility for their actions due to mental illness or addiction. The court-ordered placement serves the treatment and protection of the general public. In North Rhine-Westphalia, this measure is carried out under the direction of the LVR-Klinik Langenfeld, which specializes in the treatment of such patients. As the LVR Clinic explains, the therapy aims not only to treat patients, but also to reintegrate them into society ( LVR Clinic ).

Caution is advised

The police have issued an urgent warning: the public should not approach or pursue the fleeing man on their own. Instead, it is better to call emergency services immediately in the event of a sighting. The man has been sent to the forensic clinic by a court and there is a possibility that he could pose a danger to himself and others. This assessment should not be ignored, especially when one considers the increasing numbers of mentally ill offenders. Surveys show that increasing physical attacks by patients are being reported in over a third of clinics ( DGPPN ).

Especially in the recent past, reports about mentally ill criminals have repeatedly made headlines. It is often assumed that these people are generally more dangerous, but this is not always the case. Aggressive behavior is often particularly associated with drug abuse. The stigmatization of these people is not only socially stressful, but is also reflected in treatment approaches.

The reality in the penal system

The conditions presented in forensic psychiatry are also alarming. More and more clinics are reporting overcrowding and a lack of staff, which is severely restricting the therapy offerings. According to a survey, over 25 percent of patients have been in prison for more than ten years, a situation that is not new but is increasingly coming into focus. The situation within correctional facilities is similarly precarious because many inmates suffer from mental illnesses, and there are often too few resources for adequate treatment.

In the Cologne region, the search for the escaped man is not only a question of personal fate, but also raises questions about the circumstances and treatment of mentally ill criminals. The police remain active on site and hope for information from the public. In the meantime, extreme caution is required for the safety of the public.