Forensic Psychiatry
Protection by therapie
The hospital of Forensic Psychiatry of the "Pfalzklinikum" at the location Klingenmünster has ten wards and an open housing group with a total of 185 beds.
Information for the population
In May 2008, the Ministry of Health of Rhineland-Palatinate published, for the first time, a brochure regarding hospital treatment order. It was developed by representatives of all facilities and institutions involved in hospital treatment order, also by employees of the "Pfalzklinikum". Therein the new "guidelines for the communication policy of the hospital treatment order in Rhineland-Palatinate" are published for the first time. The responsible commit themselves to make the communication between the people involved and the persons in their immediate and the wider vicinity citizen-oriented and transparent. The 40-page illustrated brochure is a further step in this direction.
After an introduction by the Minister Malu Dreyer, two patients’ paths through hospital treatment order are outlined. Then, among other things the following questions are answered briefly: Hospital treatment order – What is this? Who gets in hospital treatment order? How are you treated? Security – how does hospital treatment order accomplish it? What happens after hospital treatment order? Who is responsible for hospital treatment order? Which result does hospital treatment order produce? Important paragraphs, numbers, facts and contact addresses round out the picture.
You can download the Brochure here or order printed copies at the Ministry via
For questions, suggestions and critics regarding the brochure, please do not hesitate to contact the head of media and public relations of the "Pfalzklinikum":
sabine.roehl(at)pfalzklinikum.de
Telephone: 06349/900-1640
Information for patients
"…You got in conflict with the law – in connection with a mental disorder, a dependence disease or due to a sexual abnormality. And you need help. For this reason, a judge ordered to place you in the hospital for Forensic Psychiatry. Most of you already had your court hearing, perhaps you even did a jail term and now you shall be treated and secured here (according to § 63 and § 64 of the German Penal Code), but not punished. For others (for those who have been institutionalized according to § 126 a of the German Code of Criminal Procedure), the trial is pending. Only then will the decision be made if you can be released or if you must be placed under restraint or if you are granted the opportunity to accept our therapeutic services …"
This leaflet informs patients of the hospital of Forensic Psychiatry about their stay in hospital.
Security balance 2009: continues to achieve very good results
The security level of the hospital for Forensic Psychiatry continued to be high CEO Paul Bomke reported to the task force "Dialogue & Security" on the occasion of the 20th meeting on April 22, 2010.
Afterwards, Helmut Wagner with Medical Controlling presented the development of serious incidents involving forensic patients in 2009.
"Serious incidents" are all reported "deviations from daily routine" from the missing screwdriver to a smouldering waste bin and elopements. Taking into consideration the continuing high number of more than 185 patients, the altogether high level of security was again confirmed in 2009. The number of assaults on employees was two compared to one in 2008. There were five elopements compared to zero in 2008. The term "elopement" refers to any absence without permission, e.g. when a patient comes back more than 15 minutes late after having been granted the privilege of going out. Privileges according to the law of hospital treatment order are: the permission to go out alone or attended by a staff member, walks on the hospital grounds or outside, work outside the hospital and leave for a limited period of time.
Four out of the five patients eloped turned themselves in to the police within a maximum of two days. One patient travelled to his family in Turkey and, for legal reasons, he cannot return.
Dr. Michael Noetzel, chief physician, and Peteris Venteris, head of the educational-nursing staff, pointed out that the rate of privileges granted continued to be high considering that each day approx. 35 patients had the permission to go out alone and that there were altogether more than 13,000 "days of leave" for the year as a whole/ a year.
The members of the task force appreciated that these very good results substantiated once again the adequacy and efficiency of treatment and care and the efficacy of the safety precautions taken. The members were impressed by the positive balance and felt that their need for information was taken seriously.