Man relocated from Bihor illegal nursing homes dies; court explains why Pașca was not arrested

A man who had been relocated from the illegal nursing homes run by Viorel Pașca in Bihor county died on Monday afternoon in Mureș county, the Ministry of Labour, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity announced. The ministry said it is awaiting the conclusions of the Institute of Forensic Medicine to determine the cause of death. The death comes after a large-scale operation by DIICOT and police at several centres in Bihor, during which 409 vulnerable persons were identified.

We are awaiting the conclusions of the Institute of Forensic Medicine regarding the cause of death.

Relocation and conditions

Of the 409 people found in precarious conditions, 394 were transferred to residential centres and social services across 20 counties. The remaining 15 were taken to hospital and remain under medical supervision; after discharge they will be placed in appropriate social institutions. The largest groups were sent to Alba (60), Satu Mare (56) and Sibiu (42), with smaller numbers to Arad (38), Cluj (36), Botoșani (31), Vâlcea (29) and Mureș (14), where the death occurred.

Among the 409, 165 had their domicile in the communes of Dumbrava, Holod and Tinca, 149 were classified as disabled, 212 were elderly, and 11 had no identity documents. Only 40 relatives called the dedicated hotline, and none expressed an intention to take over the care of any of the persons.

Court reasoning

On 2 July, the Bucharest Tribunal rejected the DIICOT prosecutors' request for preventive arrest of Viorel Pașca, his wife, their three sons and coordinator Delia Mioara Păcală, placing them under judicial control instead. The court's reasoning, published on 6 July, highlights several weaknesses in the prosecution's case.

The judge notes that, although the Public Ministry charges the defendants with continuous-form human trafficking through 210 material acts, up to this procedural stage the criminal investigation acts do not individualise the injured persons corresponding to each material act, nor do they distinctly describe the factual situation of each.

The judge argued that without such individualisation, the court cannot verify whether each act corresponds to a concrete situation of exploitation, and the danger to public order must be assessed on the whole evidentiary material.

Institutional involvement

The reasoning also states that a significant part of the vulnerable people were not recruited by the defendants but were directed to the locations by public institutions – medical units, ambulance services, local authorities and social services – which had no other solutions for their protection.

Public institutions were the ones that facilitated the beneficiaries' arrival at the locations administered by the defendants.

Living conditions and deaths

The court acknowledged serious deficiencies: unauthorised operation, lack of qualified staff, insufficient supervision and failure to meet legal standards. However, it found that the spaces were furnished with special beds, nightstands, sanitary facilities and televisions, and that residents were provided with food, clothing, medication and access to medical care. The judge concluded that the case did not correspond to the image of people abandoned in conditions incompatible with human existence, which diminished the concrete danger of leaving the defendants free.

Regarding deceased beneficiaries, witness and resident statements indicated that administrative formalities were completed and burials took place in the Greek-Catholic cemetery. While this did not remove the suspicion that the defendants were interested in funeral aid, it showed that the deceased were not simply abandoned.

Government response

The government will adopt a decision to allocate funds from the budget reserve to ensure continuity of social services for the relocated persons, the Ministry of Labour said. The measure is intended to allow service providers to offer care without interruptions or additional pressure on local budgets.