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Homicide due to mental disorder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

David Vinkers
Affiliation:
Netherlands Institute of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology, Noordsingel 113, 3035 EM, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Email: d.vinkers@dji.minjus.nl;
Marko Barendregt
Affiliation:
Netherlands Institute of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology, Rotterdam
Edwin de Beurs
Affiliation:
Netherlands Institute of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology, Rotterdam
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Abstract

Type
Columns
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2009 

The article by Large et al describes the rise and fall in homicides attributed to mental disorders in England and Wales over the past 50 years. Reference Large, Smith, Swinson, Shaw and Nielssen1 Since 2000, the rate of homicide due to a mental disorder in England and Wales has been 0.07 per 100 000 or lower. Encouraged by the authors, we examined the rate of homicides due to a mental disorder in The Netherlands. Dutch law considers responsibility for crimes to be diminished if there is a causal relationship between a mental disorder and the crime committed. Five degrees of responsibility are defined (i.e. complete responsibility, slightly diminished, diminished, considerably diminished, and total absence of responsibility). A severe psychiatric disorder, usually of a psychotic nature, is a necessary condition for a ‘total absence of responsibility’ finding.

From 1212 cases of homicide between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2006, 1020 (84.2%) defendants were psychiatrically assessed pre-trial. Of these, 58 (5.7%) were considered to have total absence of responsibility. Furthermore, 63 (6.2%) were found to have considerably diminished responsibility, 239 (23.4%) diminished responsibility, 309 (30.3%) slightly diminished responsibility, and 259 (25.4%) complete responsibility. A psychotic disorder was diagnosed in 115 (11.3%) people, which is in line with earlier studies. Reference Taylor and Gunn2 The rate of homicide due to mental disorder would be 0.11 per 100 000 when individuals with a total absence of or strongly diminished responsibility are included. If individuals with a diminished responsibility are also included, this would be 0.32 per 100 000.

The difference between England and Wales and The Netherlands may be explained by a different view on the issues of a diminished responsibility. Reference Dell3 This may also explain the rise and fall of homicides due to mental disorders in England and Wales over the past 50 years.

References

1 Large, M, Smith, G, Swinson, N, Shaw, J, Nielssen, O. Homicide due to mental disorder in England and Wales over 50 years. Br J Psychiatry 2008; 193: 130–3.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2 Taylor, PJ, Gunn, J. Homicides by people with mental illness: myth and reality. Br J Psychiatry 1999; 174: 914.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3 Dell, S. The mandatory sentence and Section 2. J Med Ethics 1986; 12: 2831.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
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