Psychiatric guards charged in '06 beating

Cherry Hospital in Goldsboro, North Carolina, is a state-run psychiatric facility that has "services" for adults as well as young people.

The federal government has repeatedly threatened to cut off funding to Cherry Hospital unless it resolves the many complaints about its care. However, the funds never seem to be cut off - even after a detainee died after guards left him in a chair for 22 hours without feeding him or letting him use the restroom. The man died when he choked on medication and the guards wouldn't help him.

Three guards who reportedly ambushed and beat a man in 2006 were charged with misdemeanors. An assistant district attorney dismissed those charges but promised more serious charges - which were never filed by that office. But now the guards have finally been arrested on felony patient abuse charges after a special prosecutor reexamined the case.

This follows guilty verdicts against 2 other Cherry Hospital employees who beat a detainee.

In the 2006 case that prompted the new charges, the assault broke the man's nose and rib. He was threatened with further violence if he dared to report the abuse.

All this in a state-run facility, no less. I'm sure Amnesty International would be interested to hear about this.

(Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1368003.html)