Citation

Parker N. Med. J. Aust. 1979; 1(2): 36-39.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1979, Australian Medical Association, Publisher Australasian Medical Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

423829

Abstract

One hundred people who were accused either of murder (70 persons) or of attempted murder (30 persons) in Queensland were personally examined by the writer. The methods, motives, and ways of prevention of homicide are discussed. A considerable preportion of murderers in this series were either mentally ill or severely emotionally disturbed at the time the crime was committed, and at least one in 10 of these murders could have been prevented. It is recommended that the treatment and assessment of potentially violent psychotic patients should be undertaken more carefully, and that the antipsychiatrist campaigns for the freedom of the individual should be tempered with a consideration for public safety.

Language: en