Caretakers Force "Fight Club" on Mentally Ill
Employees at a home for the mentally ill staged vicious battles between residents
Associated Press
Staffers at the Corpus Christi State School forced their mentally ill patients to engage in brutal physical battles, "Fight Club" style.
Caretakers at a Corpus Christi, Tx. home for the mentally handicapped were suspended last week for forcing their residents to engage in a vicious, bloody "fight club" that left many patients battered and bruised.
Employees at the Corpus Christi State School abused their residents by staging battles in which the mentally ill patients punched, kicked and struck each other until one was declared the "winner."
Cell phone videos that captured the fights showed the patients body-slamming each other to the ground, physically abusing one another in a sadistic and violent display.
One mentally challenged patient was captured on film raising his hands in victory after savagely beating another patient in a "fight club" bout.
Police Captain Tim Wilson said the "fight club" for the disabled was "appalling" and was conducted purely for the sadistic pleasure of the caretakers in charge of the facility.
"These people who were charged with caring for these clients were exploiting them for entertainment," said Wilson.
Police are set to file chargers later this week against the employees, most of whom were identified from the videos.
State officials said the abuse would not be tolerated and that they would conduct an internal investigation to accompany criminal proceedings.
