Voices unite for decriminalisation of attempted suicide

World Suicide Prevention Day

On the heels of a failed motion to decriminalise attempted suicide, anti-suicide advocates on National Suicide Prevention Day intensified calls for amendments to the archaic legislation which institutes penalties for attempting to take one’s life.
People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament Dr Vindhya Persaud, to resounding applause appealed to everyone to support the call for attempted suicide to be decriminalised.
“It is still in our legislation where people can go to jail for attempting suicide. I am going to table (the motion) again and again until we get it out of our legislation because I think if people feel that they are at a point where they have to take their life, we shouldn’t punish them further. We should help them. We should help them find a reason to live,” she expressed during the Public Health Ministry’s launch of National Suicide Prevention Day at the Giftland Mall on Saturday.

Senior Psychiatrist, Dr Bhiro Harry; MP, Dr Vindhya Persaud; Acting Director of Mental Health Unit, Dr Meena Rajkumar; PAHO Country Representative, Dr William Adu-Krow and Psychologist Caitlin Vieira
Senior Psychiatrist, Dr Bhiro Harry; MP, Dr Vindhya Persaud; Acting Director of Mental Health Unit, Dr Meena Rajkumar; PAHO Country Representative, Dr William Adu-Krow and Psychologist Caitlin Vieira

Persaud had tabled the motion in the National Assembly calling for the decriminalisation of attempted suicide; however it was not supported by the Government on the grounds that her presentation was too politicised.
Chapter 801: Section 96 of the Criminal Law Offences Act states that anyone who attempts to commit suicide would be guilty of a misdemeanour and liable to imprisonment for two years.
Nonetheless, the parliamentarian and rights-advocate said she will not be deterred but will exhaust all efforts until attempted suicide is no longer recognised as a crime.
Furthermore, she said it is time to move from being a judgmental society to one eager to create support networks to show people who are hurting, that we care: “We need to move towards being a society of care,” she emphasised.
Persaud also noted that everyone has a role to play in ensuring people understand that life is a precious gift worth living: “Life has its fair share of challenges. Everyone has bad days, everyone has good days…we need to let people know that just as you get good days, you get bad days. Don’t succumb to those bad days. Don’t let those bad moments overwhelm you; and more importantly, understand that when you have to walk a dark path, a difficult road, you don’t have to do it alone,” she advised.

Draft legislation
Senior Psychiatrist Dr Bhiro Harry disclosed that the mental health ordinance was revised and is currently being reviewed by draftsmen and that the draft legislation does not include penalties for attempting suicide.
“We are awaiting the draftsmen to do their bit so they can take it to Parliament for a ‘yes’ and then the President can ascent to it,” he stated, noting that the new legislation is more people-friendly, bestowing more rights on patience.
Additionally, Dr Harry expressed gratitude to the media for toning down its sensationalism in reporting on suicides.
He explained that the media have a critical role to play in helping to curb the high rate of suicides in the country by making it appear less desirous to end one’s life, noting that the constant descriptive reporting of suicide gives rise to the copycat effect.

Connect, Communicate, Care
National Suicide Prevention Day 2016 is being observed under the theme: “Connect, Communicate, Care.” Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) Country Representative Dr William Adu-Krow explained that the theme is very relevant as he urged everyone to adhere to it in order to save a life.
He said it is important to build networks and relationships with people, to openly communicate with them and to genuinely show that you care. In fact Dr Adu-Krow pointed out that a study shows that if you can keep someone on the verge of committing suicide engaged for approximately ten minutes, you are likely to prevent them from taking their life.
He noted that it is mindboggling that a country which contributes about 0.01 per cent to the world’s population also contributes 0.03 per cent to suicides globally.
In this regard, Dr Adu-Krow urged everyone to do their part in helping to save a life. Amazingly, notably absent at the event were Public Health Ministers Dr George Norton and Dr Karen Cummings. (Devina Samaroo)