Citation

Martens W. Med. Law 2001; 20(1): 123-131.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2001, International Centre of Medicine and Law)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

11401232

Abstract

Every year a number of psychotic patients commit violent crimes and are recommended for forensic psychiatric treatment. Many of these patients already show risk symptoms before their fatal offense. Despite these risk signs the physicians and psychiatrists, who have the task of intervening in crisis situations of psychotic patients, are frequently waiting too long before compulsory admission of potentially dangerous psychotic patients to a general psychiatric hospital. A physician or psychiatrist, who admits a "harmless" patient against his or her will may risk prosecution. Therefore, many involved professionals are very careful with regard to a forced admission of problematic psychotic patients to a general psychiatric hospital. It is timely, that some risk signs, which are evidently linked to a significantly, increased risk of violent behavior in psychotic patients, become recognized officially by law as a good reason for compulsory admission to a general psychiatric hospital.

Language: en