The Prisons Department ordered a probe into the case of a 52-year-old man who escaped from Athalassa Mental Hospital while under police custody on Tuesday, July 25.
The 52-year-old managed to flee from the hospital along with a 20-year-old resident, after breaching a window.
Police were informed about the incident between 3:30 am – 4 am on Tuesday and managed to locate the 20-year-old a few hours later.
The 52-year-old was found and arrested on Tuesday afternoon. He was being held at Athalassa Mental Hospital under a court order, after being transferred from Nicosia Central Prison, where he was serving a sentence. It is noted that he is currently under trial for another offence. According to Phileleftheros, a prison guard was on duty at the time of the escape.
Sources said that the 52-year-old was held in the same ward as other Athalassa Mental Hospital residents.
In statements to Phileleftheros, head of the union of mental health nurses Andreas Andreou said that they had, in the past, forwarded a recommendation to authorities suggesting the creation of a mental health ward in Nicosia Central Prison.
In January, another convict managed to escape from Athalassa after breaching a door. An investigation found that the man was not guarded. This started a blame game between the Central Prison and the Athalassa Mental Hospital, with the prisons department saying that the hospital is responsible for convicts held there unless directed otherwise.
The probe was ordered on Tuesday by Prisons Department director Ioannis Kapnoullas and a report with conclusions was expected on Wednesday.
