site.btaPublic Prosecutor’s Office Shuts Down Two Care Homes in Skopje, Two Arrested for Inhumane Treatment of Residents

Two individuals have been detained for "inhumane and degrading treatment of elderly people" in North Macedonia, after the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Skopje launched an investigation against the owners and managers of two private care homes, the prosecution announced.

According to media reports, the case involves two women, one of whom is listed as the director of both homes, located in different municipalities in Skopje. The two are suspected of  abuse of office and mistreatment in the performance of their duties."

The prosecution states that since 2022, the two suspects have been operating in violation of the Social Protection Act and have seriously infringed on the rights of residents in the care homes, aiming to obtain material gain.

In one of the homes, 27 elderly people were accommodated despite a legal capacity of 21. In the other, 33 residents were housed, although it was authorized for only 17. It was established that the suspects subjected the residents to physical and psychological abuse, as well as to "cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment."

The elderly residents slept on couches, with two people sharing one bed, and men and women were housed together in a common room in violation of regulations. The residents in both homes were given food made from expired products.

Some of the elderly people were locked in separate rooms, while others were given medications that had not been prescribed by a doctor. Despite the substandard services, the families of the residents were charged fees, and the two homes generated a total monthly profit of MKD 2,232,000 (approximately EUR 36,000).

Neither institution maintained the required registers of social service users. They lacked professional files for all residents, did not keep records on personal hygiene care, had an insufficient number of qualified staff, and employed individuals without the necessary employment documentation.

The Institute of Forensic Medicine has ordered medical examinations for all residents of both homes, and the facilities have been shut down.