The Senate on Tuesday handed for second studying a bill looking for to decriminalise attempted suicide and set up a nationwide framework for prevention and rehabilitation.
The bill, sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong (Cross River South), seeks to deal with inconsistencies in Nigerian legal guidelines, beneath which the National Mental Health Act treats attempted suicide as a psychiatric emergency requiring remedy, whereas Section 327 of the Criminal Code and Section 231 of the Penal Code criminalise the act.
Leading the talk, Ekpenyong mentioned criminalisation discourages individuals from looking for assist, forces households to conceal suicide makes an attempt and distorts information. He warned that it may push distressed individuals to guarantee their makes an attempt are deadly to keep away from prosecution.
“At the heart of this bill is a simple question: when a Nigerian survives a suicide attempt, should the first response of the state be prosecution or protection?” he mentioned.
The bill proposes changing jail phrases with obligatory evaluation, referral, remedy and follow-up. It additionally offers for disaster helplines, coaching for cops, lecturers and well being staff, public schooling and a nationwide information system.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, nevertheless, opposed decriminalisation, arguing that it may encourage the act.
“If you attempt suicide, make sure you die. Anyone who attempts and fails will go to jail,” Akpabio mentioned, including that, as a result of each the Criminal Code and the Penal Code had been concerned, state Houses of Assembly must be heard at a public listening to to keep away from authorized conflicts.
The bill was referred to the Committees on Judiciary and Health for a public listening to and additional legislative consideration.
