Tragic Suicide Trend Forces Budapest Mall to Consider Changes
- 3 Aug 2023 9:31 AM
- Hungary Around the Clock
The management of the Mammut shopping mall is planning physical changes to the building after a woman plunged to her death last Sunday, the second such incident at the shopping centre in two months.
Seven people have killed themselves in this way in the mall in the past 13 years.
Mayor Gergely Őrsi of the Second District announced on Tuesday that he had initiated consultations with the shopping mall in an effort to find a solution together.
The management of the shopping mall issued a statement on Wednesday in which it expressed its condolences to those affected and outlined steps taken to make the building safer, as well as further planned changes.
Management said it had formed a team of experts with the participation of psychologists, behaviour researchers and architects to examine possible further measures to avoid similar incidents, and said an on-site mental advice service is available.
In addition, objects, such as benches and flower pots, that might facilitate or encourage climbing over the barriers have been removed.
Security personnel have taken comprehensive training courses to recognise warning signs, and patrols of the third and fourth floors have become more frequent.
Psychological support has been offered to employees in the shopping mall who were affected by the incident.
However, the management also observes in its statement that “unfortunately, we have to take into account that, despite all precautions, sometimes tragedies happen with such determination and suddenness that, regardless of the location, it is very difficult to prevent them”.
XpatLoop Media Partner
LATEST NEWS IN shopping