The National Human Rights Commission has determined that detainees who have difficulty expressing themselves normally and consume foreign substances or self-harm should be able to receive immediate medical care, regardless of their own claims.
According to the Human Rights Commission, a detainee at A detention center, who had been suffering from an illness, swallowed laundry soap, fell into a brain-dead state, and eventually passed away.
The victim’s family filed a complaint, alleging that the detention center neglected to keep items that could be swallowed or cause harm separately, despite knowing about the victim’s illness, and left the victim in solitary confinement.
They stated that the detention center made no minimal efforts to protect the victim’s right to health and life through video monitoring, which refers to observing detainees via CCTV.
In response, the detention center explained that after the victim showed symptoms of illness upon entry, they monitored him via video but had stopped it on the day of the incident as he had been stable for several months.
They also argued that they could not have anticipated the victim swallowing laundry soap and thus, it was an accident that was difficult to prevent beforehand.
The Human Rights Commission noted that the laundry soap company advises that foreign substances should be removed and the stomach should be washed if soap is ingested. They stated that the victim should have been swiftly moved to the medical department for examination, and his condition monitored to decide whether to seek immediate external medical care or treat him internally.
Furthermore, they remarked that it was inappropriate to leave the victim alone in a room without video monitoring on the day he ingested the soap, as it led to his brain-dead state.
The Commission recommended that the warden of A detention center closely observe and record the condition of detainees who find it difficult to express their intentions due to illness, and ensure they receive immediate medical care if they consume foreign substances or self-harm, regardless of their own claims.
They also advised conducting staff training on the matter.