Homicide perpetrators with psychotic illness found not criminally responsible in Turkiye and Russia: An international comparison

Abstract

Objective

The primary objective was to conduct a comparative analysis of homicide cases and their perpetrators with psychotic illnesses in samples from Turkiye and Russia to elucidate contextual similarities and differences, and providing novel perspectives to enhance international research in this field.

Method

This cross-national retrospective study, conducted at forensic psychiatric centers in Istanbul, Turkiye, and Chuvashia, Russia, involved individuals with psychotic illnesses (ICD-10 F20-F29) who were deemed criminally non-responsible for index homicide offenses between December 2012 and December 2022. The sample included 92 Turkish patients and 29 Russian patients who were compared for background, clinical characteristics, and each homicidal act.

Results

Binary analyses revealed that Russian subjects were more educated, had more lifetime suicide attempts, longer illness duration, had acquaintances as victims more frequently, higher rates of blunt traumatic homicides, higher rates of intoxication with alcohol or substances, and lower rates of experiencing delusions at the time of the index homicide compared to their Turkish counterparts. Multivariate analyses indicated that more years of education, a greater frequency of lifetime suicide attempts, higher prevalence of intoxication and a lower rate of delusions at the time of the homicide were associated with belonging to the Russian group.

Conclusion

Despite several similarities, the remarkable differences between the two samples underscore the importance of international research in enhancing our understanding of mental health, homicidal offense and offender characteristics in the sociocultural context.