Madness Cannot Be Locked Away: The Global Fight Against Asylums

On May 18, Brazil observes its National Anti-Asylum Day. The date honors the memory of Carlos Alberto Barcellos Júnior—known as Carlito—a 26-year-old man who was beaten to death in 1987 by employees at a psychiatric hospital in Minas Gerais after attempting to escape. His murder became a symbol of systemic violence and marked a turning point for Brazil’s mental health reform.

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