WILLEMSTAD – The Council for Law Enforcement is sounding the alarm over the inhumane conditions at the detoxification unit of Brasami, a care institution in Curaçao. In its State of Justice Report 2024, the Council states that the situation violates the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and is urging the Minister of Justice to take immediate action. 

The detox unit houses clients suffering from severe addiction, often combined with mental health disorders. According to the report, patients are kept in deplorable conditions—the facilities are neglected, adequate medical care is lacking, and there is no professional security in place. 

Brasami operates across three separate locations, creating inefficiencies in care. However, the situation in the detox department is described as the most critical. The Council calls the conditions unacceptable in a constitutional state, stressing that these are vulnerable individuals entitled to care and protection. 

Previous Warnings Ignored 

The Council had previously issued recommendations urging renovations, better housing, and staff reinforcement at the facility. Those warnings, it says, have gone largely unheeded. 

“Further delay is irresponsible,” the Council states, demanding that the Justice Minister take urgent and structural action to improve the situation. 

The report underlines the broader issue of neglect in Curaçao’s mental health and addiction care system, warning that failure to act could have legal and humanitarian consequences.