International psychiatric experts stand by Malinová

If official bodies continue to demand that Hedviga Žáková, née Malinová, undergo psychological tests, psychiatrists from six countries will request that the World Psychiatric Association examine her case. They agreed the course of action during a conference held in Piešťany. The world association has in recent years dealt with cases of abuse of psychiatry in countries such as Russia and China, the Sme daily reported on March 4.

If official bodies continue to demand that Hedviga Žáková, née Malinová, undergo psychological tests, psychiatrists from six countries will request that the World Psychiatric Association examine her case. They agreed the course of action during a conference held in Piešťany. The world association has in recent years dealt with cases of abuse of psychiatry in countries such as Russia and China, the Sme daily reported on March 4.

Žáková, a Hungarian-speaking Slovak citizen, reported that she had been assaulted on her way to a university exam in Nitra in August 2006. The police concluded their investigation in September 2006 by finding that no attack had actually occurred. The announcement was made at a press conference by then (and now) interior minister Robert Kaliňák and then prime minister Robert Fico, at which Kaliňák said that “it is beyond doubt that the case did not happen”, supporting his assertion with several pieces of what he claimed were evidence, including DNA samples.

Kaliňák later went on to denounce Žáková as a “pathological liar”.

In May 2007 Žáková was charged with lying to police and making false claims but her case has never been presented before a court.

The demand to examine the mental condition of Žáková, who is now the mother of a young child, including by confining her to hospital, was submitted by the Office of the General Prosecutor. However, psychiatrists believe that it is pointless to continue examining her mental condition. They said they had seen Žáková’s medical documentation and spoken with her and her psychiatrist.

“Further checks cannot bring new information and are thus unjustified,” said Czech psychiatrist Petr Smolík, as quoted by Sme. “Žáková faces a threat of re-traumatisation and thus she should not be examined by experts against her will and exposed to the threat that she will be examined in hospital.”

According to experts such a threat bears the signs of political abuse of psychiatry, Sme wrote.

Source: Sme

Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.

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