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US gunman 'needed mental help'
07/05/2007 22:07 - (SA)
Washington - The gunman who killed 32 people at Virginia Tech failed to get the mental-health treatment ordered by a judge who declared him an imminent threat to himself and others, a newspaper reported on Monday.
Seung-Hui Cho was found "mentally ill and in need of hospitalisation" in December 2005, according to court papers.
A judge ordered him into involuntary outpatient treatment.
However, neither the court nor community mental-health officials followed up on the judge's order, and Cho did not go for the treatment, reported The Washington Post, citing unnamed authorities who have seen Cho's medical files.
Virginia law enforcement, mental health and school officials contacted Monday would not confirm the report.
"The system doesn't work well," said Tom Diggs, executive director of the Commission on Mental Health Law Reform, which has been studying the state mental health system and will report to the state's general assembly next year.
'Ordered' into treatment
On December 13 2005, Cho e-mailed a roommate at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg saying he might as well commit suicide.
The roommate called police, who took Cho to the New River Valley community services board, the area's mental health agency.
Cho was detained temporarily at Carilion St Albans Behavioural Health Clinic in Christiansburg, a few miles from campus, until a special judge could review his case in a commitment hearing.
On December 14, special judge Paul M Barnett found Cho was an imminent danger to himself and ordered him into involuntary outpatient treatment.
Special judges are lawyers with some expertise and training who are appointed by the jurisdiction's chief judge.
Terry W Teel, Cho's court-appointed lawyer at the time, said he did not remember Cho nor the details of his case.
But he said Cho probably would have been ordered to seek treatment at Virginia Tech's cook counselling centre.
The court does not follow up because "we have no authority", said Teel.
'Course of treatment'
Virginia Tech mental health officials would not discuss Cho's case because of privacy laws.
Virginia law says community services boards "shall recommend a specific course of treatment and programmes" for people such as Cho who are ordered to receive outpatient treatment.
It also says these boards "shall monitor the person's compliance".
"That's news to us," said Mike Wade of the New River Valley community services board.
- AP
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