The municipality of Darayya awoke to a tragedy that shook its quiet morning, when three bodies were found, which was the beginning of the story, before its chapters were revealed by the commission of a crime that the named H.S., in his thirties, committed against his wife, R.F. and their three-year-old son, and ends it by committing suicide.
This horrific crime may open the door wide to what we are on the verge of social chaos. We are not in the process of justifying, but we must dive more into the details of this crime, which raises several problems, starting with the inability of many patients to continue their treatment due to the cost of medicines, to escaping from pressures by slipping into the maze of drugs, deviation, and wrong and undisciplined behaviors.
Nothing suggests a near solution, and perhaps this is what makes coexistence more difficult in light of the challenges and difficulties that the Lebanese face on a daily basis. This crime cannot be read from a criminal standpoint only, but also from a socio-psychological standpoint, because what happened serves as a real warning of what we may see in the coming months, if patchwork policies continue to address the country’s crises.
It is not yet possible to ascertain the truth about what happened within the walls of the house called H.S., and what were the reasons that prompted him to commit his horrific crime. However, according to the anecdotal narration, which was confirmed by the mayor of Daraya Abdel Nasser Sarhal, that “the young man suffers from a psychological disorder, and he has “nerves,” in addition to being addicted to drugs, so he strangled his wife and child before committing suicide. A normal person cannot kill His child and his wife, especially since his child was very attached to him and accompanied him wherever he went.The difficult circumstances may have exacerbated his psychological condition, and he has not been taking his medications lately, while he was taking drugs, all of these factors led to this catastrophe that killed this entire family. “.
The drug crisis in Lebanon affected a large segment of patients, and H.S. A victim of his inability to purchase his medication. This crime may expose the frightening reality in which we live, and what may result from it as a result of many people stopping their treatment, especially patients with mental illnesses. Serhal points out, “The situation is very difficult in the town, and everyone is in a state of shock, and we are awaiting what the security investigations will reveal.”
The absence of statistics on the percentage of cases suffering from mental illness prevents an approach to the challenges and a comparison with the numbers in recent years, especially since the start of the crisis in Lebanon. Despite this, Rami Bou Khalil, assistant professor of psychiatry at Hotel Dieu Hospital and at the Department of Psychiatry at Saint Joseph University, estimates that 80 percent of patients who suffer from mental and neurological diseases and disorders are unable to buy their medication these days.
The prices of psychiatric medications have increased dramatically, and the cost of the lowest medication ranges from 1 million to 6 million Lebanese pounds. For example, the cost of “lithium” medicine, which is given to treat bipolar disorder, has become about one million pounds, after its price did not exceed 7 thousand Lebanese pounds.
On the other hand, the remaining group, that is, the 20 percent, are forced to buy their medicines from France and Turkey at a high cost without knowing their quality and condition (if it is smuggled or expired…) and therefore Bou Khalil describes “the situation as” very bad. .
However, it is important to stress and point out that mental illness, when properly treated and with constant follow-up, does not lead a person to engage in violent behavior.
There are 3 important mental illnesses that Bou Khalil talks about, which it is important to focus on: schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and addiction. These three diseases make a person lose the ability to judge correctly if he is not treated properly, and he can harm the people closest to him, because he is unaware of what he is doing.
There are 10 percent of patients with schizophrenia and 13 percent of bipolar disorder commit suicide, noting that these disorders are present at a rate of 2 to 3 percent in society.
According to statistics, Bou Khalil indicates that “a quarter of Lebanese society, or about 25 percent (approximate percentage), suffers from at least one mental disorder during this period, and the most common are anxiety and depression disorders. On the other hand, the 40 percent of doctors are no longer Psychiatrists are able to secure daily check-ups in their clinics, in addition to the decrease in the patient’s visit to his psychiatrist as a result of the high cost of fuel, medical check-ups and medicines.”
Accordingly, the number of patients who continuously monitor their condition decreased, while the majority of patients resort to self-medication because they suffer from the cost of transportation, medication, and medical examination. Although antipsychotic drugs given to patients with schizophrenia and bipolar are still subsidized, they are not available, while the price of other drugs may reach 6 million Lebanese pounds, and if subsidies for some others are lifted, their cost may reach 20 million pounds.
Social Reading: Explosion Near?
Professor of Social Sciences at the Lebanese University, Dr. Adiba Hamdan, confirms that “in these circumstances we are witnessing a crime due to economic and social pressures that lead to this criminal behavior from an ordinary person, and not from a person with a criminal record. Therefore, the causes of crime must be distinguished today, as they are sometimes linked to a situation Therefore, this crime cannot be considered like other crimes, as it can be considered a case of “self-retribution” for a person who was unable to meet the needs of his family.
We know very well that no crime can be justified, regardless of its circumstances and motives, especially since some of them are shocking and cruel. However, it is not possible to abstract from the details of some matters that would explain the behavior of the father, who decided to end the lives of his wife and son before committing suicide.
This is what Hamdan is trying to shed light on. In her opinion, “this crime is not normal, and if we were in another country, we would see that such crimes are investigated socially and in their circumstances, and the investigation does not depend on the act of committing the crime. From a legal point of view, this is a crime punishable by law, even if If the father were alive, he would inevitably be punished, but from a social point of view, stressful circumstances make it easier to get drawn into this type of crime, especially since he kills his family and not just himself.”
However, this analysis forces us to ask if we are facing a social explosion and we will witness similar crimes in the coming months as a result of the crisis situation in the country. Hamdan does not hide that “the general atmosphere puts people under enormous pressures, and makes it easier to be drawn into crime, but on the other hand, social solidarity and family solidarity may reduce the occurrence of such crimes, as their number remains limited. Therefore, no matter how difficult the circumstances are, these crimes remain confined and limited, except It remains a source of shock for society because the circumstances are unbearable, as we may find some people tend to accept and justify it because everyone is on the brink of deviation, we may find others stealing, others cheating, others earning money in an unclean way, others escaping or forgery… and all of them are considered manifestations of Deviant behavior did not amount to murder, but is still considered crimes, whether we like it or not.
Hamdan believes that “the absence of social and economic policies, regime change, continuous deprivation, and the stability of social security led to the emigration of some and the coexistence of others. As long as we do not witness social and developmental reforms and policies, we will continue to witness behavioral vibrations at the individual or collective level in the form of wars or breaches that disturb social security.”
