The City Hall of Yerevan, considering the motion of the RA Investigative Committee, will examine the international experience of preventing the suicide cases committed through throwing themselves from bridges.

Summing up the suicide cases committed from Yerevan bridges the RA IC Chairman Aghvan Hovsepyan sent a motion to Yerevan Mayor T. Margaryan on taking measures to prevent the suicide cases through throwing themselves from bridges.

It is particularly said in the motion;

“Examinations on cases of suicides committed through throwing themselves from bridges in the administrative districts of Yerevan were conducted in the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia.

It was found that from October 2014 to June 2017 30 persons have committed suicide through throwing themselves from the bridge; 25 of them have thrown themselves from Kievyan bridge, 3 – from Davtashe, 2 – from Victory bridge.

28 of 30 persons having committed suicide were males, 2 of them – females, 13 of them were up to 30 years old, 17 – over 35. 4 of the mentioned people suffered from mental illness.  

The number of the persons having committed suicide through throwing themselves from the mentioned bridges could have been multiplied if numerous suicide attempts had not been prevented by several citizens or employees of law enforcement bodies.

Through preliminary investigation conducted on suicide cases mainly the causes and conditions in the result of which the persons take this step are revealed and, as a rule, these cases are caused by domestic motives. Revealing these conditions is not enough and cannot have necessary preventive effect for prevention of the suicide cases.

At the same time, the experience shows that in cases when the suicide is prevented, as a rule, the person does not commit suicide again.

Besides, an accident has also been recorded – a 13 year-old minor fell from Davtashen bridge and died. A criminal case was initiated against the policemen of Mashtots division of the RA Police according to the Part 2 of the Article 315 of RA Criminal Code and was sent to the RA Special Investigatory Service.

According to examinations, actions of those inclined to committing suicide can be prevented by creating some obstacles for them, such as barriers, protective nets and other technical solutions”.

Thus, with the purpose of preventing the suicide cases through throwing themselves from the bridges, as well as accidents the RA Investigative Committee has sent a motion to Yerevan City Hall to take measures in that direction.

In reply to the motion, an answer was received from Yerevan City Hall informing that a working group was created to consider the mentioned issue involving necessary specialists as well as to examine the international experience.