Original scientific paper

THE DEATH OF VICTIMS AS A RESULT OF SCHIZOPHRENIA OR OTHER SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS; WHAT HAVE WE LEARNT OVER THE YEARS?

Mark Agius ; One time Clare Research Associate University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
Michaela Agius ; University of Malta, Msida, Malta
Anton Grech ; University of Malta, Msida, Malta

Abstract

From time to time, tragic cases occur when patients with serious Mental illness commit homicide. We describe two cases which are in the public domain.These cases are not isolated incidents but part of a broader, systemic failure to provide sustained, assertive, and well-resourced community-based mental health care. It is crucial that the techniques of Assertive Outreach we have discussed are not only adopted in principle but also fully integrated into everyday practice, backed by proper funding, staff training, and institutional support. Without this commitment, we risk continuing the tragic cycle of preventable deaths, where both patients with severe mental illness and innocent bystanders pay the price for gaps in the system. By applying assertive outreach models effectively, we have the opportunity to change the trajectory of care, ensuring that vulnerable individuals receive the intensive, proactive support they need to remain stable, safe, and ultimately, to prevent such tragedies from happening again.

Keywords

paranoid schizophrenia; assertive outreach; homicide; mental health management

Hrčak ID:

344139

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/344139

Publication date:

20.9.2025.

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