Psychiatric Diagnosis, Type of Crime and Victim Profile: A Study of the Population of a High-Security Forensic Hospital in the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil

To study the population of a high-security forensic hospital, utilizing its criminal records, clinical diagnoses and victim profiles. The records of 269 patients male were analyzed. Psychotic disorders were the most common findings (58%). The most common type of crime was murder or attempted murder (52.8%), and there was a significant correlation between psychotic disorders and this type of crime (p<0,05). 89.7% of these crimes led to death, and 34.5% of the time the victim was a close relative. Mentally retarded patients committed proportionally more sex crimes, when compared to psychotic patients and considering only sex crimes and attempted murder (p<0,05). 78.5% of sex crimes involved victims that were under 14 years old. The data on the victims, including murders committed by psychotic patients and sex crimes committed by mentally retarded individuals, show that aspects of the victim’s profile are to be considered when analyzing the crime.