Haunted house must close for using images of mentally ill people

A haunted house in California, USA recently had to close after a few days of operation due to many complaints that it caused harm to mental patients.

Fear RV haunted house at Knott Berry amusement farm in Buena Park, California, USA just opened on September 22.

With the hospital theme,Fear RV allowedVisitors sit in wheelchairs, their hands are tied, and they wear goggles to make the experience seem more real. If they feel overwhelmed, they can press the "fear button" to stop. However, after only a few days of operation, this haunted house had to close because many California residents spoke out against the use of images of people with mental illness for entertainment, decoration.Fox Newsreport

Many people believe that Knott Berry's use of images of mentally ill people is shameful and assert that patients should only be considered victims, not perpetrators of crimes. Photo: Foxnews.

Before it opened, this haunted house also received mixed reviews because of its name. The original name was Fear RV 5150. 5150 is a US government code that allows authorities to detain a mentally disturbed individual - someone who is likely to be a danger to themselves or others. This code is common in the US and is widely used when referring to people with mental illness.

Kay Warren, wife of Pastor Rick Warren, said the haunted house’s original name bothered her because her son, who committed suicide in 2013, had been committed to mental hospitals multiple times. The haunted house later dropped the number 5150 and simply called itself Fear RV.

On its website, Knott's amusement park recommends that children under 13 years old should not participate.

However, on September 28, thousands of people signed a petition to reopen the haunted house.

"If it's called a haunted house, it's supposed to be scary. Closing it will make people more aware of this issue. They will still be afraid of anything related to mental illness, because they don't know anything," one person commented on Change.org.

According to VNE