NCJ Number
138087
Journal
International Journal of Law and Psychiatry Volume: 15 Dated: (1992) Pages: 77-87
Date Published
1992
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This study examined patterns of alcohol and drug abuse in general and at the time of offense among a sample of homicide suspects in Copenhagen, Denmark, from 1959 to 1983.
Abstract
From 1959 to 1983 some 500 cases of suspected homicide occurred within Copenhagen police jurisdictions. A total of 263 of the homicide suspects received a forensic psychiatric assessment. Of these, 251 had psychiatric reports in the Danish Medico-Legal Council. This constituted the sample for this study. Information on the defendants was extracted from the psychiatric reports. Data addressed year of homicide; age, gender, and possible psychosis diagnosis of the defendant; defendant's habitual substance abuse; defendant-victim relationship; and intoxication with alcohol or other drugs at the time of the alleged homicide. Findings indicate that 55 percent of the defendants were intoxicated by alcohol or other drugs at the time of the alleged homicide, and a similar proportion were habitual abusers. The psychotic males were relatively rarely intoxicated and, like the females and in contrast to the nonpsychotics, they killed within their families. Two trends found in the study were the increased probability of intoxication in intrafamily homicide and the absolute increase in extrafamily homicide. These could be signs of an increase in the tendency to kill without premeditation. 4 tables