Couple charged after leaving disabled son in hospital for 10 years

TDT | Manama

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The Head of the Family and Child Prosecution said that the Public Prosecution received a complaint from government hospitals after the parents of a patient with disabilities refused to take him home after his treatment was completed.

According to the complaint, the patient, who has a mild intellectual disability, was admitted to a government hospital in 2015 due to an immune disease. All necessary medical tests and treatment were completed within two weeks of his admission.

However, his parents repeatedly refused to take their son home, despite many attempts by hospital staff to convince them of their responsibility to care for him.

Refusal

As a result, the patient remained in the government hospital for more than ten years due to his parents’ continued refusal to receive him because of his intellectual disability.

The Public Prosecution immediately started an investigation and heard the testimony of the Deputy Head of the LongStay Committee at government hospitals.

She confirmed that the patient’s health condition does not require hospital admission and that several meetings were held with both parents to persuade them to take their son, but without success.

Danger

She added that the son is in his forties, that his intellectual disability makes his thinking similar to that of a ten-year-old child, and that he does not pose any danger to his family or to society.

Investigations also showed that the son has been registered with the Ministry of Social Development as a person with disabilities since 2005, and that his parents have been receiving his disability allowance since that time.

The parents were questioned and clearly refused to take their son, claiming they were unable to care for him.

Findings

Based on these findings, the Public Prosecution ordered that the parents be referred to trial on charges of neglecting their legal duty to care for their son with disabilities, an offense punishable by imprisonment and a fine under Law No. (74) of 2006 on the care, rehabilitation, and employment of persons with disabilities.

The Head of the Prosecution stressed that while the state is committed to protecting the rights of all members of society, parents and legal guardians also have a legal and moral responsibility to care for those under their care.

She noted that the parents’ refusal to take their son from the hospital for more than ten years represents a serious breach of this responsibility, especially as they continued to receive his disability allowance during that period.