Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-q99xh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T16:48:52.096Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Homicide, inquiries and scapegoating

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

D. Bennett*
Affiliation:
Emeritus Consultant Psychiatrist Bethlem Royal and Maudsley Hospitals
*
5 Mill Lane, Iffley, Oxford OX4 4EJ
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Homicide is in the news and community care is being blamed, a view not justified by the facts. Much has been written about the homicides of Johnathan Zito and Georgina Robinson and there has rightly been considerable public and professional concern. There have been other reports on the murder of Johnathan Newby in October 1993 and William Bennett in July 1994. Yet another case is currently the subject of an inquiry and again the press is expressing indignation and horror. The anxiety and concern are natural but the reactions are not justified.

Type
Briefings
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1996

References

Criminal Statistics: England and Wales 1993 (1994) London: HMSO.Google Scholar
Daniels, N. & Sabin, J. E. (1995) The yin and yang of health care system reform: professional and political strategies for setting limits. Archives of Family Medicine, 4, 6771.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Grounds, A. (1995) Risk assessment and management in clinical context. In Psychiatric Patient Violence: Risk and Response (ed. Crichton, J.). London: Duckworth.Google Scholar
Menzies Lyth, I. (1988) Containing Anxiety in Institutions. London: Free Association Books.Google Scholar
Philo, G., Henderson, L. & McLaughlin, G. (1993) Mass Media Representation of Mental Health/Illness. Report for Health Education Board of Scotland. Glasgow. Glasgow University Media Group.Google Scholar
Sayce, L. (1995) Response to violence: a framework for fair treatment. In Psychiatric Patient Violence; Risk and Response (ed. Crichton, J.). London: Duckworth.Google Scholar
Sheppard, D. (1995) Learning the Lesson: Mental Health Enquiry Reports Published in England and Wales Between 1969–1994 and their Recommendations for Improving Practice. London: The Zito Trust.Google Scholar
Special Hospitals Service Authority (1994) Personal Communication.Google Scholar
Steering Committee of the Confidential Inquiry into Homicides and Suicides by Mentally Ill People (1995) Report of the Confidential Inquiry into Homicides and Suicides by Mentally Ill People. London: Royal College of Psychiatrists.Google Scholar
Williams, M. (1956) Mental illness and the community. British Journal of Psychiatric Social Work, 4, 410.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.