Nothing like a vigorous dose of "religion" to help cure drug addition

[Michael OLeary]

Serbian Priest Removed After Video Shows Him Beating Patients With Shovel

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Wednesday, May 27, 2009

BELGRADE, Serbia  —  The Serbian priest running a church-backed drug rehab center was removed by his bishop Wednesday following the publication of videos showing him and members of his staff beating patients with a shovel.

Bishop Artemije ordered the removal of Branislav Peranovic but stopped short of closing the Crna Reka center in southern Serbia even though Serbian Orthodox Church elders had demanded it.

Artemije said in a statement that the center will be shut down if the beatings recur. He appointed Father Dejan Jakovljevic to run the facility "in line with Christian principles." Jakovljevic — previously Peranovic's assistant — has publicly approved of the beatings.

There was no immediate reaction from the church. At the weekend the church's Holy Synod ordered Artemije to shut down the center altogether, and his refusal to do so could trigger a clash within the church.

Located on land belonging to the Crna Reka monastery, the rehabilitation center has been known for its strict methods, isolated location and poor living conditions. Earlier media reports have shown rehab patients carrying out daily duties in total isolation from the outside world.

But the video posted on the Web site of the Vreme weekly last week shocked the public with its brutality. It shows a man beating and kicking the victim while the other holds him. The victim falls onto the floor at one point. The room is decorated with Christian icons.

On Tuesday, B92 Television aired another video showing Peranovic himself beating a patient with a shovel.

Crna Reka priests have said beatings are a necessary part of the therapy and are carried out with the consent of patients' parents.

Bishop Artemije said Peranovic will face punishment, but added the center will remain open at the request of the parents. He denied having been aware of the "inadmissible" methods used at the center before seeing the video.

Disclaimer: Please note use of quotation marks in thread title to subtly imply sarcasm in comparing the described techniques to actual and literal religious practices.  Any misunderstandings are fully and completely the fault of the readers who are unable to comprehend this subtle technique.  Further, anyone considering themselves to be considered an idiot by literal interpretation of this disclaimer needs to get a life and/or to stay out of the Radio Chatter forum.  All readers of this post hold the OP free of any and all fault and accept full responsibility for their own emotions and reactions to what they have read.

 

[PMedMoe]

It'll be on A&E next week on "Intervention"......   

P.S.  Love your disclaimer, Mr. O'Leary!  :nod:

 

[Mighty W]

It seems like a sound treatment method doesn't it. I put it to you, If everytime a friend or loved one did drugs we all gave them a good, solid shovel beating, do you think they would continue to do drugs? I move that we make this the compulsory treatment for drug abuse, in the interest of making Canada a drug free country.