Psychologists fear for the lives of 8/1 prisoners: “deep depression”

“One of my patients tied a rope to the ceiling of the garage and claims he will use it when the police arrive to arrest him again”, reports psychoanalyst Luciane Lober de Souza, in an interview with People’s Gazette. According to her, the man is 43 years old, was arrested during the events of January 8, 2023 and spent seven months in the Papuda Penitentiary Complex.

“Now he is dealing with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and, even though he is improving, the rope is still there”, reports the specialist.

Another patient she treats is a 53-year-old nurse, imprisoned in front of the Brasília Army Headquarters, who spent two months in the Federal District Women’s Penitentiary. “She is deeply depressed, in bed and tried to take her own life.”

In just two sessions she had until this Monday (23), the patient reported several humiliations she suffered from the moment she got on the bus with the promise of going home until she left prison.

“And one of the most humiliating situations she reported was the fact that she unblocked the penitentiary toilet with her own hands because they didn’t give her anything to use”, describes the psychoanalyst, mentioning that the woman even asked for a dewormer to avoid illnesses after the situation, but was the target of mockery. “She said she cried a lot that day.”

According to Luciane, these are just some of the countless cases she has attended to as a volunteer specialist at the Association of Families and Victims of the 8th of January (Asfav). In total, the entity serves around 400 currently associated, with the possibility of psychological support, financial assistance and courses to re-establish these people in the job market.

“They have assets blocked, they have lost jobs, and many families have gone hungry”, says the specialist from Jaguariúna-SP, when reporting the case of a patient who only had water in the refrigerator. “This is psychological torture, just like it happened during Hitler’s time,” she points out.

For neuropsychologist Otávio Augusto Cunha Di Lorenzo, from Ipatinga-MG, there are several similarities between the psychological situation of those arrested on January 8th and the individuals who were confined in concentration camps during the Second World War.

“In fact, the Austrian psychiatrist and psychologist Viktor Frankl was a survivor at the time and talks about the feeling of disbelief that made many of those people take their own lives”, warns Lorenzo, citing the book “In Search of Meaning”, by 1946.

“In this publication, the author says that news appeared inside the concentration camps that it would end at Christmas, but Christmas arrived and the situation did not change”, reports the neuropsychologist, stating that the lack of faith was taking over the situation. environment, leading many to commit suicide.

“In the week between Christmas 1944 and New Year 1945, a death toll never seen before broke out in our concentration camp,” says an excerpt from Viktor Frankl’s book. “The chief doctor was of the opinion that the causes were not a worsening of working or food conditions, or a possible climate change or even new epidemics”, continued the writer.

For Lorenzo, who treats several people arrested due to the acts of 8/1, there is the same feeling of disbelief among these patients, and the risk of attacks on their lives is real. “There is a great feeling of injustice, and fear of dying in prison because they are, for the most part, elderly people who fear living the nightmare of prison again.”

According to the specialist, the patients report having suffered torture in various ways because they slept on the floor, went hungry due to the conditions of their diet and, in the case of women, “they were at the crosshairs of a machine gun when Alexandre de Moraes arrived to talk to them ”, he reports. “One woman even urinated on her knees, so the human dignity of these people is very hurt.”

In addition to the situations experienced in prison, Lorenzo states that the precautionary measures imposed on prisoners, some for almost a year, also constitute psychological torture and have caused suffering by depriving families of having the basics to survive. “I even told a patient to give me his Pix because he didn’t have anything at home for his children to eat, since their accounts are frozen and they can’t get a job due to the ankle bracelet.”

Another fact, according to the psychologist, is the embarrassment caused by the use of electronic devices, as many treat these people as common criminals.

“And, unfortunately, there are also situations like that of a man I serve, who lost his son to a heart attack while he was imprisoned by the 8/1”, reports Lorenzo, explaining that, in addition to this elderly man dealing with the emotional burden due to the events experienced in prison, still needs to face grief. “The situation of these people is serious, with symptoms of depression and anxiety, and the diagnosis can worsen.”

The search for psychological care

Therefore, he advises relatives and friends to pay attention to changes in behavior, as the first symptoms of depression are related to hopelessness, changes in mood and sadness lasting a week or more.

“Be careful if the individual starts to lose hope of seeing their children and grandchildren grow up or if they say they are feeling lost, ‘grounded’ because they can’t get a job and are having difficulty supporting themselves.”

Furthermore, Lorenzo states that it is necessary to seek urgent help when hearing any talk about suicidal intentions. “That saying that ‘those who talk don’t do’ is false, as many people who took their own lives said and signaled this before”, warns the specialist, recommending psychological assistance for everyone who has already been tried or who is waiting for the end of the trial. process related to 8/1. “It’s a lot of pressure.”

How to join Asfav to receive assistance or act as a volunteer

A Association of Families and Victims of January 8th (Asfav) offers this service free of charge through partnerships with volunteer professionals. Therefore, the entity invites these people to join by filling out the online form, free of charge.

The entity also invites interested parties to register as volunteers, as there is space for different areas, such as social workers and psychiatrists, for example. “Remembering that it is also possible to collaborate by publicizing the association’s work on social media, presenting job offers to 8/1 prisoners or helping families financially”, informs Jaqueline Vetter, secretary of Asfav. The association’s Pix is ​​CNPJ 51.546.913/0001-49.

Psychological assistance in prison

In a note sent to People’s Gazette, the State Secretariat for Penitentiary Administration of the Federal District (Seape) reported that every custodian has access to psychologists, psychiatrists and other specialties within the prison. However, the agency did not mention the number of services that were carried out with prisoners from 8/1.

According to data from the Federal Supreme Court (STF) published by Gazeta do Povo, they were arrested 243 people inside public buildings and in Praça dos Três Poderes on January 8th, and others 1,927 were taken to the National Police Academy by the Army and the Military Police (PM) on the 9th. Of these, 775 were released and 1,152 remained imprisoned.

At the moment, 17 people are still in the Papuda Penitentiary Complex, where the usher and painter Claudinei Pego da Silva, 42 years old, is in the psychiatric ward. Resident of Minas Gerais and provider for four children, he attempted suicide inside his cell on December 9th. The man has already received an opinion from the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) in favor of release, but the request was denied by Minister Alexandre de Moraes.