The Director of Public Prosecutions has refused to charge a man who attempted to commit suicide and directed police to escort him to hospital for mental checkup.
In a letter to Moyale Police Station, the prosecuting Counsel Adams Chelule said even though the offense of attempted suicide is still in the penal code, it’s now practice not to punish people as they are sick.
Chelule said charging him would be like punishing a sick person for being sick as they are deemed to be suffering from mental illness.
“In this breath, I therefore make the decision not to charge the accused person but instead offer a form of intervention,” the letter reads.
He directed the OCS to escort the suspect to hospital for mental assessment and also so he could undergo counseling to enable him forward with his life.
After the assessment and first round of counseling the OCS has been ordered to take file back to DPP for further directions.
The police had recommended for the prosecution of the man who had attempted to commit suicide as per the law.
