An inmate at the Psychiatric Penitentiary Hospital of Seville started a fire in his room while the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina was taking place. The incident, which required the intervention of the staff, adds to the serious incidents recorded at the centre in recent weeks.
The staff of the Psychiatric Penitentiary Hospital of Seville had to intervene urgently on Sunday night to extinguish a fire started by an inmate in his own cell. The fire coincided with the World Cup final football match between Spain and Argentina, a game that kept much of the country glued to their televisions.
According to the union Acaip-UGT, the staff on both the incoming and outgoing shifts faced the flames while the rest of the acute module experienced moments of high tension, with shouts, insults, and altercations directed at the staff and the head of services. The fire was managed without spreading to other areas, but the incident has once again highlighted the precarious situation of the centre.
Self-harm and transfer to a secure cell
After being subdued, the inmate was transferred to a secure cell with video surveillance. However, the inmate, according to union sources, took the opportunity to self-harm using fragments of acrylic and tearing part of the surveillance camera installation. The staff had to intervene again to prevent further damage.
The union has demanded the immediate transfer of this inmate, considering that the recurrence of the incidents he is involved in poses a “high risk” to the safety of the centre and its staff. This is not the first time this same inmate has caused serious disturbances, according to the same sources.
Lack of staff and overcrowding at the centre
Acaip-UGT has denounced the “serious and chronic lack of staff” that the Psychiatric Penitentiary Hospital of Seville suffers from, a situation that has worsened in recent months. The union has reminded that just two weeks ago another inmate took the lives of his two cellmates, triggering a wave of protests and demands from the staff.
The staff believe that the current workforce is insufficient to care for an increasingly complex and violent inmate profile. Therefore, they are calling for the resumption of the Seven Waters Penitentiary Centre project and a restructuring of the workforce to adapt human resources to the real needs of psychiatric penitentiary hospitals.
A context of increasing violence
The incidents at the Psychiatric Hospital of Seville are not isolated events. In recent weeks, the overcrowding of the centre and the lack of resources have led to an increase in assaults and violent episodes. Unions have been warning for months that the situation is unsustainable and that urgent intervention from the administration is needed.
For the residents of the capital of Seville, the news represents another wake-up call about the reality of a centre that, despite its location in Seville, serves inmates from all over Andalusia. The feeling of insecurity in the vicinity of the hospital has increased following the recent events, although the centre's management insists that the control measures are adequate.
Meanwhile, the staff continue to demand solutions. “We cannot continue like this”, they denounce from Acaip-UGT, insisting that the lack of staff puts both workers and inmates at risk. The next step will be a meeting with the Government Delegation to demand concrete measures.
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