Mental illness and Crime
As far as mental illness is concerned, it is defined as a heath condition that is related to changes in an individual’s emotion, mood, thinking and behavior. It can be a combination of a few or all of these changes can occur at once. Mental illness is mostly related with distress and burden such as social pressure, work and within the family.
There is no doubt that mental illness is becoming common but sometimes it makes the person commit an action which he or she did not intend to, or when the intention is there, their consciousness is not. This action could be a crime, whereas crime can be defined as omission of an action that is prohibited by law and is recognised as an offence. For instance, killing someone, torturing, assault etc. all are crimes.
A History Of Mental Illness
The historical background of mental illness in United Kingdom goes back to the Madhouses Act 1774 as it is the first ever legislation made in the UK. This is the first legislation that addressed the issue of mental health. In the start of 19thcentury there were privately funded asylum that were established at a larger scale. When we talk about the County Asylums Act 1808, it was suggested to remove the “pauper lunatics” from prisons and workhouses, it should be kept in mind that it was just permitted not enforced.
Back in the year 1859, 36,000 people were categorised as lunatics in the ambit of England and Wales. Whereas the number of 31,000 were categorised as paupers and about 5,000 were the private patients. 17,000 of them were in the asylums and around 7,000 were present in the workhouses, excluding the ones living with friends or at other places.
In the year 1846 Pentoville’s concerned Medical Officer, named as Dr.G. Owen Rees, made some entries in his journal which defined the state of mental health of the prisoners. These were his own patients, this shows the record of a month:
According to him some prisoners showed some signs of hallucinations, where he thought that the warders were trying to poison his food and he also made himself believe that the concerned medical officers were involved too. He also hallucinated that they want to kill him in order to examine his body. He looked so ill and was at his worse, he was still not removed from the infirmary, where he was not taking his medicines.
Whilst others who were subject to mental health and illness, were said to be getting better. However, it was not long until an attack took place towards Pentonville’s gardener with a knife that is used to make baskets. The prisoner was said to be suffering from mania.
Crime And Insanity
There is definitely a relationship between mental health and committing a crime, it has been a hot topic of debate for many years . In order to find the reason why criminals commit such dangerous crimes, their mental state is often assessed. The reason could be that a normal person would not do such a thing. It is a popular belief that whoever commits a crime often is referred to as mentally unstable, because violence and aggression is not normal and can never be. However, some researchers suggest otherwise, that the people who are suffering from mental illness are more likely to be a victim of a violent crime taking place rather than the one committing the crime. Researchers have also suggested that treating a mentally ill person as a criminal might actually turn him or her in to a criminal. There are different aspects that are hard to define, there is another possibility that a normal person is subjected to arrest, charges and jail can turn into a mental health patient as well as can commit crimes.
The Lyme
Regis Murders
by author
Andrew Segal
Three little piggies going to market each,
Changed their minds, went down to the beach.
A great big rock then cracked each head,
And, left the three of them, all stone dead. R.A.
Three found dead, throwing a quiet seaside town into turmoil.
.
The shoreline was deserted apart from the four individuals cavorting close to the water’s edge. A single gull wheeled overhead screaming out what might have been a warning, had anyone understood, or been prepared to listen. Offshore the swell rose and fell ominously, a restless movement like the bulk of a heaving whale, as it too whispered a plea for mercy.
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Mentally Ill Criminals:
Harold Shipman:
Although he was only convicted for 15 murders, but according to an official report gave a finding that he killed almost 260 people in the era of 1975 to 1998. He was 57 years old when he used his power and position in order to kill many elderly women, he used to give them lethal drug dosage. In 1998 his crimes were exposed when he attempted forgery. Kathlees Grundy aged 81 was the victim of that forgery. In 2000, he was convicted and was given life imprisonment. Unfortunately, he was later found dead because he hung himself to the ceiling in Wakefield prison in 2004.
Dennis Nilsen:
He was a former army cook and a civil servant, he used to pick the students up and also targeted the homeless men. He used to strangle them and another way was to drown them after having sex with them. He used to store the dead bodies of the victims, for months in a flat that was situated in London. A plumbing company noticed some human remains due to which the drains were blocked, it was reported and he was then jailed for life for 25 years. He still is in jail.
Fred and Rose West:
A couple who used to torture, kidnap, rape and murder women. They used to bury the dead bodies under the floorboards, Fred committed suicide and Rose was convicted for 10 murders which included the murder of her own daughter too.
Jack the Ripper:
"'Jack the Ripper” was known for murdering around 11 people. Most of his targets were prostitutes which is clearly related to his mental health as he was taking his aggression out on a specific community. The case remains unsolved, justice was not served and it still remains in the history of United Kingdom as a case which was not solved.
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