'Special Report on Problems Faced When Dealing with Persons Experiencing Mental Problems' was presented to journalists on Wednesday by Slovene Ombudsman Ivan Bizjak and his deputy Ales Butala. The report analyses the situation in some psychiatric clinics and social institution Bizjak has visited (Hrastovec Trata, an institution for mentally ill and for those with disturbances of the nervous system, the Ljubljana Psychiatric Clinic as well as the psychiatric clinics Vojnik and Begunje).

Persons with mental problems are of particular interest to the ombudsman because of their being marginalised and especially vulnerable and at times helpless. In addition, their lives as a rule unfold in psychiatric clinics and behind closed doors.

Bizjak has pointed out how insufficiently defined the legal framework is and how inappropriate implementation of the existing pieces of legislation is in the filed of non-voluntary detention in health and social institution. For instance, the beginning of the involuntary detention is not regulated in national legislation at the moment. It is not defined what to do when a patient refuses to be institutionalised. Neither doctors' authority is regulated nor the assistance of police when it would be necessary to enter the patient's apartment. The existing legislation is lacking about the rights of patients in mental hospitals and of those in social institutions.

This legislative void and lacking legislation made Bizjak point out in the special report how vital it was for Slovenia to draft a bill on mental health as soon as possible.

'Special Report on Problems Faced When Dealing with Persons Experiencing Mental Problems' has been sent to two parliamentary committees (for justice and health and labour), to the speaker of parliament and to three ministers. The National Assembly is also expected to discuss it.

Bizjak added at today's news conference he had received a total of 3,348 complaints in 1998, which is a 16-percent rise from 1997. 87 percent of all received complaints have already been dealt with. One of the reasons for such a considerable increase in complaints is the fact that the key systemic problems remain unsettled, according to Bizjak. Those are mainly time-consuming court procedures and administrative cases as well as legislation which is still not entirely appropriate.

A special report on the situation in prisons and preventive custody is to be presented to the general public shortly.