Luxembourg's handling of mentally ill individuals under judicial supervision is under scrutiny following the recent escape of a murder suspect during a supervised outing.
The escape of a murder suspect during an accompanied outing in Ettelbruck in early December has prompted various interventions in the Chamber of Deputies.
Last week, MPs Charel Weiler and Jean-Paul Schaaf of the Christian Social People's Party (CSV) submitted a parliamentary question to Minister of Justice Elisabeth Margue and Minister of Health Martine Deprez. The case has also drawn attention from MPs Fernand Etgen and André Bauler of the Democratic Party (DP), who addressed a parliamentary question to Minister for Home Affairs Léon Gloden. Their enquiry focused on the suspect's escape route and whether other "dangerous or convicted" individuals currently placed at the Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital Centre (CHNP) in Ettelbruck might pose "a danger to public safety."
In their responses, the ministers clarified that the individual in question had never been convicted of a crime and did not escape from the CHNP premises but rather during an accompanied outing. They added that the police were immediately informed, and a manhunt was launched. While the suspect was unarmed, no details about his escape route are available.
The ministers also explained that outings at the CHNP are restricted to a secure inner courtyard for individuals deemed "dangerous" or at risk of flight. The suspect at the centre of this case had not been classified as such and was therefore permitted to participate in accompanied outings.
Regarding potential changes to the CHNP's security measures, the ministers indicated that any decision would depend on the completion of an assessment of the incident.
In addition to these parliamentary questions, MP Dan Biancalana of the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP) has submitted a requested for a joint meeting of the parliamentary health and justice committees to further question Ministers Deprez and Margue on the matter. The LSAP seeks to address the placement of individuals with mental illnesses, focusing on both public safety and psycho-social considerations. The committees are expected to deliberate on these issues in January.
Meanwhile, the public prosecutor's office provided further clarification to our colleagues from RTL.lu, explaining that there is no fixed time frame for placement in a psychiatric unit. Individuals under judicial supervision have the right to request discharge, prompting the public prosecutor's office to seek multiple assessments before deciding on continued detention or release. Each case is examined individually.
Regarding the recent escape, the public prosecutor's office confirmed that a report has been requested to evaluate how such incidents can be prevented during future accompanied outings.
The man at the centre of this case is the primary suspect in the fatal stabbing of an elderly man in Ettelbruck in 2015. In 2016, the Appeals Court's pre-trial chamber deemed the then 27-year-old unfit to stand trial under Article 71 of the Criminal Code. This article exempts individuals from criminal responsibility if, at the time of the offence, a mental disorder impaired their judgment or self-control. Despite sufficient evidence linking him to two knife attacks, the court instead placed him in a secure psychiatric unit at the CHNP.
On 4 December, the man escaped during an accompanied outing and remained at large for 24 hours before being recaptured in Germany.
