Investigations conducted by the Sixth Police Station (Paranoa) concluded that the 21 patients who were admitted to the farm at the Free Treatment Institute received painkillers without a prescription and were locked with padlocks when the place caught fire.
The accident killed six people and injured more than 12 others in August this year in Paranua (DF).
According to the chief deputy of the Sixth Police, Bruno Cunha, the prisoners were treated irregularly by the monitors. “The psychiatrist in charge of their online consultation stated that the prescriptions had an expiration date of 30 days. So, for the first 30 days, they were taking the medication in a way that was supported by the report and prescription,” he said.
The representative revealed that “the rest of the time they stayed there, they were taking it irregularly, without a prescription to justify the treatment that the observers prescribed to them.”
The police officer stated that the victims were locked in their accommodation when the fire broke out, making it difficult to escape. Furthermore, the anesthesia they were subjected to reduced their chances of escaping the flames.
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Conditional closure.
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The fire caused a tragedy
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The place operates secretly
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The causes of the fire are unknown. Sixth Police Station (Paranoa) is investigating the case
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Currently, the clinic has more than 20 trainees
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Darlie Fernandez de Carvalho, José Augusto, Lindbergh Nunes Pinho, Daniel Antunes, and João Pedro Santos died at the scene.
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The Instituto Terapêutico Liberte-se, a drug rehabilitation center in Paranoa (DF), caught fire in the early hours of Sunday (31/8), at around 3am.
Hugo Barreto/Metropolis @hugobarretophoto
Six dead and 12 wounded
- In the early hours of August 31, the Núcleo Rural Boqueirão unit of the Instituto Liberte-se, in Paranoa, caught fire.
- At that time, six people were killed and 12 others were injured. Darlie Fernandez de Carvalho, José Augusto, Lindbergh Nunes Pinho, Daniel Antunes, and João Pedro Santos were burned to death. Luiz Gustavo Ferrojim Kumca, 21, died three weeks later in hospital from smoke inhalation.
- The unit operated without a licence, according to the DF Legal Secretariat.
- The owner of the Free Therapy Institute, Douglas Costa Ramos, 33 years old, confirmed in a statement to PCDF that the only entry and exit door to the clinic was closed, due to previous thefts.
- Douglas also admitted that he did not have the necessary licenses to allow the Buquerao unit to operate.
Keep patients calm
In their testimony, clinic directors and monitors claimed that using sedatives on patients would be necessary to “remain calm.”
“They also tried to justify that the house was locked so that the inmates would not escape or to prevent theft in the area,” the police chief said.
The windows, protected by iron bars, prevented people from exiting via alternative routes.
Furthermore, the PCDF also identified that patients were subjected to sanctions, such as “neck throwing” and being prevented from contacting family members.
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Cigarette lighter
Forensic medicine was unable to determine the causes of the fire. However, according to the representative, there is strong evidence that cigarettes and a lighter found at the scene may have caused the flames to appear. The hypothesis that the fire started from an electrical short was ignored.
The Defense Forces Civil Police charged five people with the fire, two managers of Farm 420, and one in charge of Farm 470, in addition to two observers. They will be charged with premeditated murder, attempted murder, unlawful imprisonment, ill-treatment, and illegal practice of their profession.
The rehabilitation clinic units remain closed. Two of the officials, Douglas Costas de Oliveira Ramos and his wife Joselan Lima de Souza, are in preventive detention. A third official is at large.
The treatment center did not have a license and was not licensed to operate by the Military Fire Department (CBMDF).
PCDF referred the investigation to the Public Ministry (MPDFT) last Friday (28/11).
Security flaws
Testimonies collected by the civil police reveal that the clinic was operating without any basic fire protection measures. Guests reported that there were no emergency exits, smoke detectors, surveillance systems, an evacuation plan, and even fire extinguishers.
Furthermore, there was no accessible equipment or minimal conditions to fight the fire, a scenario that, according to the police, directly contributed to the seriousness of the tragedy.