Patient Escapes from Psychiatric Hospital in Cyprus: Quickly Recaptured

Over the past weekend, a patient managed to escape from the Atalassa Psychiatric Hospital in Cyprus. Fortunately, the escapee was caught just a few hours later, so there’s no ongoing concern.

According to the police, the 40-year-old patient, Tolku Tongel, had left the clinic without permission. Tongel was serving a 30-month involuntary treatment sentence handed down by the Larnaca District Court for several crimes, including burglary.

The escape was discovered on Saturday around 11 a.m., but the patient may have fled earlier. Authorities quickly apprehended him.

The police are investigating how Tongel managed to leave the facility unnoticed.

Local media reports that the patient was under the guard of central prison officers rather than police, with the supervision provided by a prison guard.

This incident marks the ninth escape from the Atalassa Psychiatric Hospital in the past seven years.