ABSTRACT

In Finland, the court can refer perpetrators for a forensic mental examination to estimate whether they are considered ‘particularly dangerous to life, health or freedom of another.’ This impacts the punishment that perpetrators face. Examinations are conducted in psychiatric hospitals with forensic expertise. We reviewed all examinations conducted between the years 2006 and 2019 in Finland. Data concerning sex, nationality, age, psychiatric morbidity and criminal history of the subjects, conclusion of the level of dangerousness and the utilisation of structured risk assessment tools were obtained. A total of 111 examinations were conducted, 97% of which concluded that the subject was dangerous. Structured risk assessment tools were widely used. The subjects showed a high rate of comorbid substance use and personality disorders (89%). Most subjects were intoxicated during the offence and had a previous criminal history. The Finnish legal system seemingly does not segregate dangerous offenders from non-dangerous offenders. We suggest that the conclusions of the examinations should include a recommended risk prevention plan or treatment options. Based on our findings, substance-use rehabilitation and counselling could be suggested for many high-risk offenders in Finland.

摘要

在芬兰，法院可以将犯罪者转介进行法医精神检查，以评估他们是否被认为“对他人的生命、健康或自由特别危险”。这会影响肇事者面临的惩罚。检查在具有法医专业知识的精神病医院进行。我们回顾了 2006 年至 2019 年在芬兰进行的所有考试。获得了有关受试者的性别、国籍、年龄、精神病发病率和犯罪史、危险程度的结论和结构化风险评估工具的使用情况的数据。共进行了 111 次检查，其中 97% 的结论是该对象具有危险性。广泛使用结构化风险评估工具。受试者表现出较高的共病物质使用率和人格障碍 (89%)。大多数对象在犯罪期间都喝醉了，并且有过犯罪史。芬兰的法律制度似乎没有将危险罪犯与非危险罪犯分开。我们建议检查的结论应包括推荐的风险预防计划或治疗方案。根据我们的调查结果，可以为芬兰的许多高危罪犯建议进行物质使用康复和咨询。