Judges refused to jail members of a Bihor family who accommodated people without a licence
A court in the capital rejected prosecutors' proposal to place in pre-trial detention persons accused of offering accommodation to vulnerable people in unauthorised dwellings in four towns in Bihor County.
Judges refused to jail members of a Bihor family who accommodated people without a licence
A magistrate from a Bucharest court rejected the request from prosecutors combating organised crime to place in pre-trial detention a man and five of his relatives or associates, accused of housing hundreds of vulnerable people in unauthorised dwellings in Bihor County, according to Cotidianul.
According to investigators' report, the leader of a non-governmental association together with his family housed people brought from hospital units and social protection services in buildings located in four communes in the western part of the country. The activity was carried out without the necessary authorisation, and those accommodated were in a state of heightened vulnerability.
The judge who analysed the case considered that, although the spaces did not meet the legal requirements for social services, the conditions were not inhumane. The beneficiaries had access to special beds, furniture, toilets, televisions, food, clothing, medical treatment and specialist assistance.
The reasoning of the decision shows that the absence of a form of institutional protection for those people would have actually led to their return to the streets, rather than accessing an authorised centre. The magistrate found that the deficiencies noted – improper administration of medication, lack of trained personnel and non-compliance with legal standards – did not justify deprivation of liberty, since the concrete social danger was reduced by the fact that basic necessities were provided to the individuals in an informal setting.
The court's decision can be challenged by prosecutors through an appeal.
Source: Cotidianul.ro