[The Belgian Law of Social Defense: its drawbacks and a viewpoint of possible realization]

The belgian law of social defense of 1930 has presented several drawbacks which have led to the present revision of July 1964. Among these drawbacks were the limited duration of the confinement, which became unlimited, and the obligation to discharge the insane criminal, which has become a possibility instead of an obligation. The most obvious drawback remains the evaluation of the degree of "severe mental disorder", which explains divergences between experts, especially at the level of the therapeutic possibilities. The Special Hospital of Paifve for he french-speaking belgian insane criminals represents a prototype where the patient is constantly in interaction with a highly qualified personnel.