Hardly manageable forensic case, as a result of unsuitable legal and psycho-social factors

Abstract

The court may impose a measure of mandatory psychiatric treatment in custody in a health care institution on a perpetrator who has committed offense while in a state of mental incompetence or substantially diminished mental capacity. An offense should be punishable by imprisonment of at least 3 years and is necessary to avoid a serious danger. Implementation of this measure can be difficult if surrounded by unsuitable psycho-social circumstances. Patient N.N, Albanian, 22-years-old, was born in Kosovo and raised in Germany. During this period, he only visited Kosovo 2–3 times. A few weeks before admission in the Institute (year 2014), he came in Kosovo willingly, to escape a prison sentence in Germany. Due to a fight, he was arrested and because of resistance that he showed, in the court – psychiatrist proposes mandatory psychiatric treatment. In admission was quiet, but after being told the rules of the Institute, he started to become aggressive, refusing to speak and eat. After refusal, his medical condition deteriorates. After “therapeutic weekend”, we saw improvement. The Court approved the doctor's proposal to change the measure. The measure must be appropriate for the patient in order not to cause more harm than good.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.