Mental health authorities have weighed in on the manner in which unstable individuals are treated in police custody, recommending that those charged with “bizarre public behavior” be held in psychiatric care while their cases are being heard.
Malaysian Mental Health Association (MMHA) president, Dr. Andrew Mohanraj, has said that at-risk suspects require medical attention, and a psychiatric evaluation.
Lack of support for those suffering from mental illness became a headline issue following the treatment of a Filipino transgender woman who was caught dancing naked at a popular Kuala Lumpur shopping area earlier this month.
Kent Caburnay Acuin is facing two charges pertaining to her fully nude public exhibition, and obscene gestures. She is currently believed to be in a KL-area prison, awaiting her trial, following the March 13 incident.
Shocking many passers-by, none stopped to come to the aid of the unarmed woman, though dozens of videos of the morning antics were recorded, and later posted online.
While Kent was taken to Hospital Kuala Lumpur after the incident, Dr. Andrew believes that a pre-hearing psychiatric assessment is crucial, as she could be suffering from a serious mental health issue.
Pointing out was public nudity is widely regarded as socially unacceptable, it’s an indication that the individual committing the offense is of “unsound mind at the time of the incident.”
Authorities must properly understand the nature of the episode, and treat it.
Dr. Andrew also clarified that should Kent’s behavior be the result of a drug-induced psychosis, proper mental evaluation is still necessary: Many individuals with undiagnosed mental illnesses often self-medicate with illegal substances.
Two weeks ago, Kent was captured dancing naked through the streets of Kuala Lumpur’s popular shopping district Bukit Bintang, and was captured on video widely shared across several social media platforms, including your WhatsApp family group chat that sent your more conservative relatives into a frenzy.
While the incident certainly provided midday titillation for netizens, the lack of public concern for an unarmed, unwell individual stuck out most in at least one editor’s mind. Ahem.
