Latest news with #forensicpsychiatry
The Guardian
22-05-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Experts ‘would refuse to take part' in mandatory castration for sex offenders
Leading experts on the use of chemical castration for managing sexual offenders have said they would refuse to be part of any program in the UK that makes the intervention compulsory. Shabana Mahmood, the justice secretary, confirmed in the Commons on Thursday that she is examining whether she can force offenders, including paedophiles, to take pills or injections to suppress 'problematic sexual arousal'. But experts, including the professor who oversaw the UK's first 'chemical suppression' pilot, said such an approach would be ethically unsound. A lawyer specialising in sexual abuse cases questioned whether it would even work. Prof Don Grubin, who worked on the 2007 pilot in HMP Whatton in Nottinghamshire to medically manage sexual offenders who volunteered for treatment, said: 'Doctors are not agents of social control. It would be ethically unsound to use medication to reduce risk rather than to treat a health indication.' Grubin, a criminal psychiatrist and emeritus professor of forensic psychiatry who has researched male sexual offenders for years, said he and others in the field would refuse to work on a mandatory program. 'The problem with prescribing medication on a mandatory basis is that doctor's role is to treat patients with their consent, not without it – particularly when medications can have significant side effects,' he added. Grubin said mandating medical intervention would not be ethical because sex offenders are not mentally ill. 'They have capacity to make their own choices and these choices include whether or not to take medication,' he said. 'It also includes choices about whether or not they want to manage their own behaviour. 'Most offenders don't want to go back to prison, and they don't want to go out and offend. So most will voluntarily participate in programmes that are going to reduce the chances of either of those things happening,' he said. Prof Belinda Winder said making medication compulsory could make it more likely that sex offenders would commit other crimes. 'I would be very worried if the government made it compulsory,' said Winder, who has more than 15 years of experience working on reducing reoffending of sex offenders, supporting rehabilitation and promoting ethical and evidence-based practices within the criminal justice system. 'If offenders are being coerced and forced, you're just pushing the problem somewhere else,' she said. 'You might reduce the sexual urges but you've perhaps increased their hostility, aggression and sense of having a grievance.' The administration of medications suppressing libido and sexual activity is legal in several US states, where it is often used as a condition of parole or early release. Voluntary in most states, it was made a mandatory condition of parole in 2019 in Alabama for certain offenders. Other countries mandate the intervention for certain sexual offenders, usually repeat child sex offenders. In Moldovia, however, compulsory intervention was revoked after a year when its constitutional court ruled it violated fundamental human rights. Dr Adarsh Kaul, a consultant forensic psychiatrist and clinical director at Nottinghamshire healthcare NHS trust, has more than two decades of experience in managing sexual offenders, particularly through pharmacological interventions. He also said he would not work with patients who had been coerced, warning that far from being a 'one size fits all' solution, medical intervention is only appropriate and effective for about a third of sex offenders. 'The only people I will work with are those in prison for whom therapy has, or is likely to, fail,' he said. 'But if a patient shows any indication that he is being forced to take these drugs, then I won't prescribe them because it's a medical treatment I'm providing on the basis of voluntary consent.' Marcus Johnstone, the managing director at PCD solicitors and specialist in representing serious sexual offenders, said any attempt to force offenders to take libido-altering chemicals would be challenged in the courts and European courts, adding: 'These proposals will fail as a way of reducing reoffending without investment in adequate psychological treatment services in tandem.' Prison Reform Trust chief executive Pia Sinha said forcing medical treatment raises 'clear ethical considerations' which could put medical practitioners in an 'invidious' position. She said: 'Medical interventions to address the behaviour of people convicted of sexual offences only applies to particular types of offending – it must not be seen as a panacea. 'Any treatment that targets its use needs to be strictly risk-assessed by medical experts rather than ministers.' The Sun disclosed on Wednesday night that Mahmood would examine plans to chemically castrate paedophiles. A review led by the former justice secretary David Gauke recommended reforms to overhaul the prisons system. It also looked at ways to cut reoffending, with one proposal to consider further use of chemical suppressants, which are being piloted in south-west England. In a statement to the Commons, Mahmood said: 'The review has recommended we continue a pilot of so-called medication to manage problematic sexual arousal. 'I will go further with a national roll out, beginning in two regions covering 20 prisons. And I am exploring whether mandating the approach is possible. Of course, it is vital that this approach is taken alongside psychological interventions that target other causes of offending, like asserting power and control.' Problematic sexual arousal can be reduced by chemical suppressants and prescribed medication, but the review highlighted the treatment would not be relevant for some sex offenders such as rapists driven by power and control, rather than sexual preoccupation.
News.com.au
20-05-2025
- News.com.au
Forensic psychiatric report received for alleged killer cop Beau Lamarre-Condon
A forensic psychiatric report has been received for a former police officer accused of the murder of his ex-partner and the man's new boyfriend, with the alleged killer set to front court more than a year after the double homicide. Beau Lamarre-Condon, 29, was charged with the murder of Channel 10 presenter Jesse Baird as well as Baird's boyfriend, Qantas flight attendant Luke Davies. Mr Lamarre-Condon allegedly killed the couple with his police firearm at a Paddington share house in Sydney's east last February. Police allege he then put their bodies in surfboard bags before taking them to a remote property near Goulburn in the NSW southern tablelands. He was arrested by police four days after their bodies were found, and has since been charged with two counts of domestic violence related murder and one count of breaking and entering. No pleas have been entered. The case was heard briefly at the Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday morning, where the court was told a forensic psychiatric report on Mr Lamarre-Condon was received. The alleged killer's Legal Aid lawyer Alex Curnick was granted a four week adjournment to June 17 by Magistrate Megan Greenwood with no opposition from the crown prosecutor. Mr Lamarre-Condon will appear in court on that date via an audiovisual link about 16 months following the alleged murders. The prosecutor agreed with Ms Greenwood that 'things are progressing' in the case. Mr Lamarre-Condon had been in a brief relationship with Mr Baird, with police alleging the former officer exhibited a pattern of 'predatory' behaviour in the lead up to the double-homicide. While police allege Mr Lamarre-Condon planned to kill Mr Baird, they believe Mr Davies' was a tragic, unplanned casualty.
Daily Mail
11-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Forensic psychiatrist reveals how common female psychopaths are - and 3 ways they are different from their male counterparts
A psychiatrist has revealed how common female psychopaths are - as well as three ways in which they differ from their male counterparts in a video on YouTube. Dr Sohom Das is a forensic psychiatrist, from London, who also runs an eponymous YouTube channel. He shares content about crime, mental health conditions, and psychology among other topics. His previous video topics include how having ADHD can affect your love life, why women are more likely to binge watch true crime than men, and six reasons why female prison officers have sex with inmates. Speaking in the video, Dr Das said: 'Psychopathy can occur in both men and women, although it's more commonly diagnosed in men - some estimates have suggested that they could be about a 10 to one proportion.' However, he explained, some experts say the assessment is 'skewed towards obvious male traits and that female psychopathy is more subtle'. According to the expert: The first part of the psychopathy assessment looks at how emotionally detached, selfish, uncaring and manipulative a person is so this is relevant for both male and female psychopaths. 'The second part of the test, which covers the psychopathic lifestyle, focuses on violence and anti social behaviour, and these are more male traits.' He added that proportionally, most of the pertinent research is largely based on studies of criminals who were in jail at the time, and in the UK, more men (88,000) are incarcerated than women (less than 4,000). Dr Das then shared three differences between male and female psychopaths. 1. Male psychopaths are more aggressive and impulsive Speaking in the video, Dr Das explained: '[Male psychopaths] tend to be more aggressive and impulsive, so they commit more crime, more violence, more substance abuse and general criminal activity. 'However, [female psychopaths] often present with more covert and manipulative behaviour. They rely on their charm deception and emotional manipulation.' 2. Their motivations are different According to the forensic psychiatrist, male psychopaths are driven by 'a desire for power, excitement, revenge or sexual urges'. However, he explained, female psychopaths are generally motivated more by 'financial gain, status or attention'. 3. They generally commit different types of crime In his video, Dr Das said that male psychopaths are more likely to commit 'violent crimes, assaults, stabbings'. Meanwhile, female psychopaths are 'more likely to commit fraud, embezzlement and other white collar crimes'. This means they are less likely to end up in prison '[This] goes back to my point that they're less likely to be examined, and therefore the proportion is likely to be underestimated,' Dr Das concluded.
