A mental health center named after Saint Leo the Great has opened in Lviv. This is the first specialized facility in Ukraine established to provide psychological and rehabilitative support to people who have survived captivity, torture, and moral trauma as a result of Russian aggression.
The opening ceremony was attended by Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Iryna Mudra, Head of the Lviv Regional Military Administration Maksym Kozytskyy, Mayor of Lviv Andriy Sadovyi, Deputy Minister of Veterans Affairs Farkhad Farkhadov, and Ambassador of Belgium to Ukraine Luc Jacobs.
Iryna Mudra noted that the creation of the center is building on the national mental health policy initiated by the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska.
“Delivering justice is not only about court proceedings. It is also about the state’s ability to respond to the pain of every person affected by aggression. Such centers must become a systematic part of the new humanitarian infrastructure of Ukraine – a country that not only fights, but also heals,” emphasized the Deputy Head of the Office of the President.
The center was financially supported by the government of Flanders (a region of Belgium). It is equipped with modern facilities, outpatient offices, spaces for individual and group therapy, and 30 beds for longer-term rehabilitation. The center will be able to serve around one thousand patients per year.
The opening took place within the framework of the international Unbroken Justice Forum, which brought together experts in medicine, law, diplomacy, and psychology. Participants discussed support for victims of torture, international accountability for crimes against humanity, the prospects for establishing a special tribunal for the crime of aggression, and strengthening resilience in times of war.