[Forensic psychiatric diagnoses and assessment of abnormal psychosocial development]

Introduction of the concept of severely abnormal personality development in the legal code in the former GDR in 1968 (section 16, para 1) made acquittal of criminals possible where abnormal psychosocial development was proved. So far, however, statistically based criteria for the classification of this legal decision were lacking. The authors compared, using statistical methods, severely pathological abnormal personality development and a group of subject homogenized on the basis of substantial parameters. Mainly due to multivariance methods they were able to visualize different syndromes which are characterized by the given criteria of severely abnormal personality development.