Pseudotherapy and abuse: police close down “rehabilitation” center in Odessa

In the Odessa region, law enforcement officers closed an illegal rehabilitation center that operated under the guise of a public organization. The facility lacked permits and qualified medical staff, and also systematically violated the rights of the individuals present.

The National Police’s press service reported this.

Five people were detained, suspected of organizing and participating in a scheme to keep people with alcohol and drug addiction under compulsion. They had no contact with the outside world, did not receive medical care, and were subjected to physical and psychological pressure.

According to the police, the “patients” were found on the street or as a result of referrals. Many relatives themselves turned to pseudo-specialists in the hope of treatment, but found themselves in a situation where the detainees, including minors, were isolated – they were kept locked in rooms, deprived of sleep, doused with cold water, and intimidated.

During the special operation, the officers of the Migration Police Department, together with the Investigation Department of the Main Police Department in the Odessa region, released 10 people, including four minors. Some of them remained in the center for more than six months.

The money received for the “services” was distributed among the group members and used to maintain the illegal institution.

All the defendants in the case were suspected under Part 3 of Article 146 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal deprivation of liberty or kidnapping of a person committed by an organized group for mercenary motives over a long period). The sanction of this article provides for a penalty of up to 10 years of imprisonment.

Currently, the issue of selecting a preventive measure is being resolved, and investigative actions are continuing under the supervision of the Odessa Regional Prosecutor’s Office.