A High Court judge has sounded an alarm regarding the treatment of mentally ill individuals who are abandoned by relatives after committing serious offenses.
Concern was expressed by High Court judge Justice Philda Muzofa in a case involving John Matibilila, a Kariba man who was sent to Harare Prison in 2020 after killing his neighbour.
After hitting Timoti Lunga with an iron rod, Matibilila, a resident of Matibilila village in Chief Negande, Siakobvu, was taken into custody. Matibilila was mentally sick at the time of the crime, according to psychiatric assessments done at Chikurubi Maximum Prison.
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Matibilila’s family disregarded his condition and did not provide accommodations for him when he was released, which brought attention to the larger problem of insufficient care and assistance for those with mental illnesses.
Justice Muzofa underlined the importance of raising community knowledge and comprehension of mental health issues. She asked interested parties to spread knowledge about how to recognise the warning symptoms of mental illness and how to react appropriately. Mentally Ill
The judge emphasised that prompt response and appropriate medical care are critical to averting future occurrences of this kind.