By Shanique Richards
St. Kitts Reporter
In recent discussions, many have raised concerns about the mentally ill taking responsibility for any form of criminal action that they commit. It has been argued that mental illness is not an excuse for committing an offense while others say that the mentally ill are not in the right state of mind so should not be held liable. The Observer hit the streets to find out what society thought about the issue.
Do you think mentally-ill persons should be held accountable if they are involved in a criminal offense?
Jacks, Blue’s Never Lose – I think that mental persons should be held accountable because although they might not be 100% sure of what they are doing it is human instinct to know when they are doing something wrong to some extent. People who are termed “crazy” very well know right from wrong even those with a history of mental illness.
I say this because if they did not know what to do or what not to do then how are they surviving on their own? So if they are living and solely taking care of themselves then they know what is going on around them. I think that they should be responsible for all their actions not just the right ones but also the wrong.
Lady Gzz, Marriott – Someone who is mentally challenged and is diagnosed with this disorder by a professional medical doctor should not be held solely responsible for their actions. Instead they should be put under medical observation and should not be left in society to do harm to other people.
If persons are known to be incapable of controlling their illness under any circumstance then they should not be allowed to interact with others. Therefore, if this illness has been identified as a threat to society then they should not be left unattended. I think that they should not be held accountable in any instance where their illness has already been recorded. It is like a time bomb waiting to explode!
Mecha, Village – I think that they should be held accountable even though they claim to be mentally ill because they know what they are doing. Everybody in this world knows what they are doing. They should have some idea of what they’re doing despite their situation. As long as they did the act they should be treated like everyone else. Society should not create any more excuses to condone crime.
Ras Klaire, Upper Fiennes Avenue – Every mental person is not necessarily affected by the brain as some of them are triggered by certain aspects of life. However, I think they should not be held responsible for their own actions because the state of mind they are in at the time is not a sane mode. It leaves a lot of doubt as to whether or not they are responsible because these persons might not even acknowledge that they were involved in an offense.
Katyann Baptist, Salvation Army – I think that it is a two-way matter. Some mental persons use their condition as a reason to escape prison time. However, if it is well proven that the individual had a history of mental illness then I believe that they should be taken into a mental institution and be treated until proven to be able to function in society. In other instances where it is a first time delinquent then they may need to experience prison time in order to grasp reality and hopefully realize their actions where inappropriate. Also, I think that other forms of punishment should be considered in cases like these.
