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| Rising fears about 'mad axeman' murderers not borne out by statistics | Rising fears about 'mad axeman' murderers not borne out by statistics |
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| No psychiatrist has ever been prosecuted in British courts for failing to prevent a patient committing a murder, but public alarm over high-profile killings by people with mental disorders has led to a very British style of retribution. Every such murder triggers a homicide inquiry, which invariably castigates some aspect of the patient's care. | No psychiatrist has ever been prosecuted in British courts for failing to prevent a patient committing a murder, but public alarm over high-profile killings by people with mental disorders has led to a very British style of retribution. Every such murder triggers a homicide inquiry, which invariably castigates some aspect of the patient's care. |
| Homicide inquiries were made mandatory in 1994, after the Christopher Clunis case. Clunis, who had schizophrenia, made a series of violent attacks during six years of mental illness before he killed musician Jonathan Zito at Finsbury Park tube station in north London. | Homicide inquiries were made mandatory in 1994, after the Christopher Clunis case. Clunis, who had schizophrenia, made a series of violent attacks during six years of mental illness before he killed musician Jonathan Zito at Finsbury Park tube station in north London. |
| That case and others have caused enormous public alarm, but the publicity they attract may make them seem more frequent than they really are. "There is very, very good evidence that there has been no increase in 'mad axeman' murders since the 1950s," said Dr Trevor Turner, a consultant psychiatrist in east London and former vice president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. | That case and others have caused enormous public alarm, but the publicity they attract may make them seem more frequent than they really are. "There is very, very good evidence that there has been no increase in 'mad axeman' murders since the 1950s," said Dr Trevor Turner, a consultant psychiatrist in east London and former vice president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. |
| In the 1950s, there were about 100 murders a year, of which 30-40 were committed by people with mental illnesses at a time when 150,000 people were locked up in asylums. In the 1990s, said Turner, there were about 750 murders a year, but the numbers committed by people with mental illness remained at 30-40, even though the norm was by then care in the community and the asylum population had dropped to about 30,000. The conclusion, said Turner, is that "the rate of murders by normal people has climbed inexorably". | In the 1950s, there were about 100 murders a year, of which 30-40 were committed by people with mental illnesses at a time when 150,000 people were locked up in asylums. In the 1990s, said Turner, there were about 750 murders a year, but the numbers committed by people with mental illness remained at 30-40, even though the norm was by then care in the community and the asylum population had dropped to about 30,000. The conclusion, said Turner, is that "the rate of murders by normal people has climbed inexorably". |
| Nonetheless, the fear remains. Following the murders of Lin and Megan Russell by Michael Stone in 1998, Jack Straw proposed the introduction of a new classification of mental illness – "dangerous and severe personality disorder" – which was intended to identify people with mental illness who might go on to murder and put them out of harm's way. It led to confrontation with psychiatrists, who said preventive detention was unethical. | Nonetheless, the fear remains. Following the murders of Lin and Megan Russell by Michael Stone in 1998, Jack Straw proposed the introduction of a new classification of mental illness – "dangerous and severe personality disorder" – which was intended to identify people with mental illness who might go on to murder and put them out of harm's way. It led to confrontation with psychiatrists, who said preventive detention was unethical. |
| There are known risk factors for violence – a history of paranoid schizophrenia, previous violence, being male, having drug and alcohol problems, not being compliant in taking medication and being aged 20-40 and therefore more active. Out of about 100 people with those characteristics, one will go on to commit a serious offence in the next 10 years. | There are known risk factors for violence – a history of paranoid schizophrenia, previous violence, being male, having drug and alcohol problems, not being compliant in taking medication and being aged 20-40 and therefore more active. Out of about 100 people with those characteristics, one will go on to commit a serious offence in the next 10 years. |
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