Victor Győry

Victor Győry was an immigrant from Hungary who was involuntarily committed to the Haverford State Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1969. He was arrested for disorderly conduct, after a psychological evaluation diagnosed him with schizophrenia with paranoid tendencies. Also, he had attempted to commit suicide.

Győry was unable to speak English. Because it seemed to doctors that Győry was speaking gibberish, Győry was given electroshock therapy, a standard treatment of the time for schizophrenia.

Because of this case, the United States and many other countries changed involuntary commitment laws.

Győry also has become a poster child of sorts for the Church of Scientology's fight against psychiatry and drugs used to treat mental illness. The church's Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) successfully sued for Győry's release from Haverford.

External links

* [http://www.cchr.org/issues/commitment/page01.htm Web page on Győry, from the Scientology-backed group "Citizens Commission on Human Rights"]
* [http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/townsend/11.htm Eric Townsend - The Sad Tale of Scientology]