The Association “Soldiers’ Mothers” demands that Minister of Defense Vitalie Marinuta be dismissed given the high number of cases of suicide and ill-treatment among soldiers doing their service in the National Army. The women asked President Nicolae Timofti to become involved in the investigation of these cases and to discharge the commanders to blame.
In a news conference at IPN, the Association’s head Lilia Creciun said that the number of cases of suicide and ill-treatment among soldiers has increased, but those who should solve the problem do nothing, but hush up these cases.
According to Lilia Creciun, in December 2012 – January 2013 members of the Association monitored the situation in the National Army and established that a large number of conscript soldiers suffer from different chronic diseases, but they were anyway drafted in order to fill the vacancies. A soldier was recently admitted to the Chisinau Military Hospital, where he received treatment for heart trouble for three months. Also, there were identified cases when the conscript soldiers weighed less than required.
Lilia Creciun said some of the soldiers do not resist the pressure existing in the army and kill themselves. Thus, the soldiers are brought home in coffins in peacetime. The Association “Soldiers’ Mothers” called upon the medical military commissions to thoroughly examine the state of health of the future recruits so as to avoid tragic situations. The dismissal of Vitalie Marinuta is sought because he last year promised to resign if one more case of suicide happens in the National Army.
On October 27, a soldier shot himself while doing guard duty. The military prosecutors are considering the version of suicide and of use of violence against the 18-year-old soldier who was from Copceac, Ciadir-Lunga. It was the third alleged case of suicide in the National Army this year.
