A day after the mass murder of 19 people at a facility for the disabled, many shocked Japanese were questioning why the only suspect was discharged after just two weeks from a hospital to which he’d been forcibly committed under mental health laws.
Some are also wondering why the suspect, who had written letters in February saying he would kill hundreds of handicapped people, was not kept under surveillance after he left hospital.
“Involuntary commitment is done forcefully by the authorities...If the time period drags on longer than necessary, it becomes a serious violation of human rights,” Asahi newspaper said in an editorial on Tuesday.
“However, there were warning signs before the incident,” said the Asahi, one of Japan’s two biggest newspapers. “Was the treatment and monitoring of the man sufficient“?
Given the warning signs, mainstream media raised the question of whether Uematsu had been discharged too soon from hospital, where he had tested positive for marijuana use and exhibited signs of paranoia.
Experts said there were no legal limits on the length of involuntary hospitalization but a discharge was required once the patient was no longer deemed a danger to himself or others. “The general public might think, ‘Why was such a person let loose?’ but forcible commitment is against the person’s will so the conditions should be strict,” said Fumie Kyo, a lawyer.

Source: Arab News