“Yet another preventable tragedy happened. A man died. He died because the system failed him.” Mental health organisation The Richmond Foundation has spoken out following the suicide of 55-year-old Nicholas Camilleri.
In a recent press statement, the not-for-profit organisation stated that Camilleri died “because his and his family’s voices were not heard. He died because those who loved him were not allowed to get the answers they sought, to contribute their perspective of the situation,” arguing that he was considered to be just another number.
The organisation went on to call the mental health crises in Malta and around the globe ‘the pandemic no one talks about’, shining a light on the fact that the sector is underfunded.
Camilleri was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia 18 years ago, with his wife telling the Times of Malta that she and the family believe he was “let down by the system,” also revealing that she was the target of social media hate speech after a series of claims made on Facebook by Camilleri prior to his death.
The 55-year-old had moved into a Qormi property after previous bail conditions declared that he could no longer live in the couple’s matrimonial Żabbar home. He was then reported missing last week and found dead on Tuesday with police suspecting no foul play.
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