Mental health law needs to be more detailed

A MAN ATTACKED a 2-year-old boy by the roadside, kicking him in the head and beating him with a broom for a number of minutes, without any passers-by intervening. The man was eventually stopped by people rushing out from a nearby shop. Local police put in the man in custody and later said he had a mental disorder. He had previously attacked a 57-year-old woman on the same day. Comments:

Where were the local police when the suspect attacked the woman? Had they not failed in their duty earlier, the second tragedy could have been avoided. Incomplete data show there are more than 16,000 mentally ill people with a history of violence. The police nationwide need to perform their duty to ensure people's safety.

Beijing News, May 8