Mail to the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The 23rd of November 2010 we, as Telefono Viola di Milano (Violet Phone from Milan), had a press conference at the Milan justice court’s press room. A series of atrocious events had happened in one of the greatest and notorious hospitals in Italy, the Milan’s “Ospedale Niguarda Ca’ Granda”. A 43 years old man, Tullio Ceccato, died because he was tied to a restriction-bed, inside the “Grossoni” psychiatric ward of this hospital. Another person, Francesco Defeo died in the same circumstances and others had very serious physical consequences, like arm-paralysis, nerve injuries, etc.

A psychiatrist, Dr. Nicoletta Calchi, was subjected to mobbing because she refused to practice coercive treatments, like restraint, and because she wanted to have human relations with her patients, instead of forcing them to take psychiatric drugs. Afterward, having she relieved her feelings with facebook friends, she was suspended from her job by the Psychiatric Service’s direction and her patients transferred to other psychiatrists. Other staff employees as well were moved to different services, or subjected to mobbing. 112 Dr. Calchi’s patients wrote an open complaint letter and made a petition collecting 500 signatures.

The press release was collected by the major Italian newspapers and news agencies, and reported the following days (Corriere della Sera, La Repubblica, Il Giornale ecc.), of witch it’s possible to find a complete documentation on my blog (senzapsichiatria.blogspot.com), together with an article I wrote myself on the matter, for a magazine.

Tomorrow at 12.00, an other press conference will take place at the Milan justice court's press room.