Forensic Psychiatric Evaluation of Persons Who Have Committed Sexual Offences

Abstract

This paper presents the results of scientific research conducted within the framework of the doctoral thesis "Forensic psychiatric evaluation of persons who have committed sexual offenses." For the purposes of the study, the author analyzed 289 cases of forensic psychiatric examinations of individuals who committed sexual offenses and underwent examination at the Kyiv City Center of Forensic Psychiatric Examination from 2001 to 2015 (a 15-year period). To determine the relationship between an individual's capacity to appreciate their actions and control their behavior, the expert author empirically established a "limited responsibility" (diminished capacity) group, which was modeled after the national legal concept of "limited responsibility." The study reveals that the socio-demographic and clinical indicators identified in this research can be utilized to establish clear criteria for "limited responsibility" during forensic psychiatric examinations of individuals who have committed sexual offenses.