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Mentally disordered offenders in Sweden
1Department of Social and Forensic Psychiatry, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge, Sweden.
The Bulletin of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law
|January 1, 1991
Summary
Sweden
Area of Science:
- Forensic Psychiatry
- Criminal Law
Background:
- Swedish law regarding mentally disordered offenders differs significantly from international standards.
- The concept of criminal responsibility has been abolished in Sweden.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review Swedish legislation pertaining to mentally disordered offenders.
- To present data on the prevalence of mentally disordered offenders in the prison population.
Main Methods:
- Legislative review of Swedish law.
- Statistical analysis of offender data.
Main Results:
- Swedish law eliminates the concept of criminal responsibility for mentally disordered offenders.
- No acquittals are granted on a psychiatric basis under current Swedish law.
- Data illustrates the relationship between mentally disordered offenders and the general prison population.
Conclusions:
- The Swedish legal framework for mentally disordered offenders is unique due to the abolition of the responsibility concept.
- This approach results in a distinct legal process compared to other jurisdictions.