Schizophrenia (?) Made Me Do It: Be a Sexual Sadist
Clearly, this Toronto case is more complex than delusions related to schizophrenia. In fact, the judge cited "several serious problems in [the offender'] makeup" in addition to his supposed schizophrenia, including " his anti-social personality traits that include psychopathic attributes, substance abuse and sexual sadism."
It's interesting how often people conflate mental illness and personality disorders, which are not the same thing. Ted Bundy [pictured], for instance, had an anti-social psychopathic personality. He wasn't mentally ill. Seems like this case is putting the two problems together, and I imagine they can indeed co-occur.
Comments
The legal community likes to throw these cases back to the psychiatric community and the psychiatrists want the legal system to take care of these folks. Ultimately, the issue is that even with the best "treatment" ( be that legal/incarceration or psychiatic meds and therapy) antisocial personality disorder has a dismal rate of improvement or cure. Interestingly some of the most financial successful people in the non-criminal world have antisocial features to their personalities- charming, charismatic and deceiptful. Check out Michael Douglas in "Wall Street" for a portrayal- greed is good.
Posted by: HS | February 28, 2007 11:04 AM
Let's hear it for the family dog, who bit the b*stard!
Although I obviously cannot comment upon this gentleman's level of psychosis, I feel a rant coming on...
Basically, I'm sick and tired of seeing sex offenders singled out for "treatment". We don't provide treatment for folks who stick up convenience stores or commit petty theivery, although many--perhaps most--have histories of severe childhood abuse and could just as easily be viewed through the lens of mental illness. (I base this statement on my former work with offenders and nonoffenders which allowed me access to client histories. Almost every one who'd served jail time had hellacious childhoods and a variety of mental health issues.)
Every society selects the crimes it will tolerate or excuse. We've clearly chosen white collar crime and certain sex offenses as tolerable and bend over backwards to make excuses and offer "treatment".
The day *survivors* of sex offenders have ready access to GOOD therapy is the day I'll support spending tax dollars to treat people who make the behavioural choice to offend. Until then, excusing their behaviours on the grounds of mental illness is a slap in the face to the many survivors of sexual abuse and people with mental illness who do not choose to offend.
End of rant. We now return you to your regular programming. Thank you for listening.
Posted by: Sherry | March 4, 2007 09:42 AM