Patient abuse claims under investigation at Georgia psych hospital

Police are investigating 46 reports of patient safety issues at Lakeview Behavioral Health in Norcross, Ga., according to local news station WSB-TV.

The Georgia psychiatric hospital faces allegations of neglect, missing persons, theft, and physical and sexual abuse. The accusations date back to 2017 and involve patients ages 23 to 65, according to a separate report from WSB-TV.

"While being treated there, they're coming out with injuries that weren't there and that they have no explanation for," Wilburt Rundles, a spokesperson for the Gwinnett County (Ga.) Police Department, told the news station.

On Sept. 20, state auditors visited the hospital on behalf of CMS. A month prior, several state surveyors also visited the facility, acording to Jim Spruyt, group CEO of Lakeview Behavioral Health.  

"To this point, we have had no concerns regarding any abuse or neglect," he told Becker's. "We have reached out to the police department and pledged our full cooperation in the investigation. We look forward to resolving all these issues."

No criminal charges have been filed, and Lakeview Behavioral Health is still operating.

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