The Public Prosecutor’s Office has opted to shine a light on the lack of juvenile psychiatric support in Luxembourg following the shocking events which unfolded at a Luxembourg City secondary school on Wednesday, in which a 14-year-old pupil sustained multiple stab wounds inflicted by a classmate.
“This is not a minor incident,” the prosecutor’s office wrote, but it highlights a broader issue: that of “the judicial monitoring and issues relating to minors with difficulties,” in particular their care, or lack thereof, by youth psychiatry services. The prosecutor’s office made reference here, without explicitly naming names, to healthcare facilities aimed at treating young people with mental health problems.
Although the courts have decided certain measures to support children with psychiatric issues, or risky behaviour, these measures “have not been implemented in time” and this has resulted in a “lack of available places in healthcare facilities adapted for young patients”.
Mental health is a crucial element in a child’s development and the current facilities “do not permit adequate management of these situations.”
“This issue is not new,” continued the prosecutor’s office, “but durable long-term solutions are required.” The infrastructure issue continues to create new problems. “The aggravation of yesterday’s situation worsened as it developed into an attack with a weapon,” the prosecutor’s office said, making a direct link with Wednesday’s events to the dysfunctional system.
