Psychosis, hysteria and pranks: Iranian police comes out with explanation for schoolgirl poisonings
Iranian schoolgirls poisoning case
The Iranian schoolgirls may have been prone to hysteria and victim of copycat pranks, involving 'stink bombs', in the recent wave of poison-induced sicknesses, affecting thousands, according to the Iranian police.
The Iranian police arrested 110 suspects on Wednesday and recovered thousands of 'stink bombs', strengthening the claim that it was not a state-sponsored activity. Saeed Montazer Al-Mahdi, the Iranian police spokesman added that the 'majority' of the poisonings were 'not real' and merely caused by psychological factors that triggered the paranoia of frenzies students.
Since last year, Iranian schoolgirls, in numerous cases have been found sickened by noxious gases. Hundreds have been hospitalised while the images and videos continue to do the rounds of social media. However, no confirmed fatality has been recorded so far.
The detractors of the current regime argue that the poisonings could be an attempt to force the closure of girls' schools, especially in the backdrop of the Mahsa Amini protests that started in September last year.
The version of 'fear and psychosis' by the Iranian police has been backed by a recent report published in Psychology Today.
The report stated that the poisoning of Iranian students may actually have been psychogenic in nature. It added that news reports of girls falling sick after inhaling poisonous gases should be taken with a pinch of salt as there is no proof of any noxious chemical, there have been no fatalities, and almost all sufferers have recovered quickly.
WATCH | Iranian girls 'poisoned': Police pin blame on stink bombs and hysteria
Iran's supreme leader Ali Khameneihas termed the poisoning of girl students as an "unforgivable" crime.
"Authorities should seriously pursue the issue of students' poisoning. This is an unforgivable crime... the perpetrators of this crime should be severely punished," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was quoted as saying by state media.
The first case occurred in November when 18 schoolgirls at a high school in the city of Qom were hospitalised due to poisoning.
(With inputs from agencies)
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