At the request of the Luxembourg Socialist Workers’ Party (LSAP), MPs on the justice, healthcare, and security committees convened to discuss the judicial placement of individuals at the Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital (CHNP) in Ettelbruck. The meeting followed an incident in early December when a man temporarily escaped during an accompanied outing before being quickly apprehended by police.
The individual had been placed at the CHNP after being declared not criminally liable due to mental incapacity for fatally stabbing another man in 2015.
LSAP MP Dan Biancalana emphasised the sensitivity of the issue, noting that it involves both public safety and the rehabilitation of affected individuals. He highlighted the importance of a psychiatric and medical approach in such cases and stressed that MPs sought clarity on the criteria used by medical professionals to determine whether patients may be granted temporary outings accompanied by hospital staff.
These decisions are made by a specialised committee composed of two judges and two psychiatrists, who assess each case individually.
The parliamentary discussion also touched on the responsibilities of psychiatrists when admitting potentially dangerous patients, particularly in light of an ongoing murder trial in Luxembourg City involving a defendant who had previously received psychiatric care.
Minister of Justice Elisabeth Margue explained that several parties – including family members, legal guardians, mayors, the police, and the prosecution – can request the placement of an individual for medical reasons. However, psychiatrists themselves cannot initiate such placements. Margue underscored the importance of professional secrecy in psychiatric practice, which encourages patients to open up to their doctors. She cautioned against altering this principle, warning that doing so would raise significant ethical and practical concerns.
Meanwhile, Minister of Health Martine Deprez pledged to examine the deontological questions raised during the discussions.
