Is mental illness REALLY an excuse for murder?

Question

i dont think so...because if their illness was really that bad then they would be giving intense medicine & would be helped sooner on...read this article if u havent already heard it

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/07/31/greyhound-transcanada.html

i do not think this guy should be given a less punishment bc he has a mental illness...people said he was a nice guy and he had a job and stuff...thats no signs of a mental illness...why one day does he decide to go up to a random man and START STABBING HIM TO DEATH && behead him AND FREAKING EAT HIM!!!!

THAT IS SICK!!!!!!!!!!!

I WANT THIS GUY DEAD RIGHT NOW. i dont give a c**p if he supposivley has a mental illness. HE SHOULD GO THROUG THE TORTURE THAT POOR YOUNG MAN HAD TO GO THROUGH

what do u think

Answer 1

Your assumption that ALL mentally ill persons are recognized and diagnosed, and getting treatment or medication..

is completely false.

Unfortunately, it is among  the most common lack of knowledge of mental illness.

Persons who are SEVERELY mentally ill, lack the capacity to realize that they are sick or dangerous.  If they see bugs crawling on the wall.. to them, those bugs are real, even if the bugs don't exist. It is called hallucinations or psychosis.

Pychosis is not always something that is constant. It IS something that can be intermittent.

Many persons who are severely mentally ill, are reclusive, and people do not always see the signs.  Even if people DO see the signs, it is extremely common for the person to refuse treatment.. and get away with it.  Consider the shooter at Virginia Tech, among others.

Unless you personally have had direct EXPERIENCE with someone who is severely mentally ill and psychotic... it is something that you have NO WAY to comprehend.

There are millions of persons with mental illness who are not getting treatment.  This is not an "excuse" for someone. There are realities about mental illness that most people do not understand.  

Answer 2

I didn't see anything about eating of the victim.  But it really depends on the person.  There are the people who try to get out of the situation pleding mental illness who are cowards, and those who actually have problems with their minds, their anger, just issues with themselves and have never been treated for it.

The solution, on the other hand, is that they are tested to be mentally ill...They have to go through 3 different psychologists who all have to say thier is a problem with him, and then he can be pleaded as mentally ill.  If the tests come back, and show he is not mentally ill, then he will more then likely go to prison for the rest of his life if not on death row.

The problem that people have is that he should go throught the same pain, but that won't solve anything.  Eye for and Eye makes the whole world blind." Remember that, killing the murders will just put you down to there level, and revenge won't solve the problem, just the urge to committ.  However, I know if that was my child, I am glad the police have him, because if I ever saw that creep not in cuffs and escorts, I would have made his life h**l on earth.  And made him beg for death and I wouldn't give it to him.

Thats good revenge. :) or maybe a mental illness. lol. :P.

Answer 3

I can't speak to the issue in Canada, but in the US, it goes like this:

- before any trial, the defendent must be shown to be competent to assist in his or her defense. normally, this is routine, but sometimes not.

- when the defendent is not competent, s/he will be taken to a secure treatment area, in essence a prison, where they will be treated as best as possible.

- if and when they are treated enough to be competent to stand trial, then the trial will start just like always.

- if they are never ab el to reach competency, then they will stay where they are forever. and a day. although they will not be forgotten, the court requires regular updates of their treatment plan and status.

in such a treatment facility, they are not free to leave. they are not technically prisoners as they are not tried and convicted of anything, b but they are not there voluntarily either.

This has nothing to do with an excuse, but is about due process, which we are all guaranteed under the Constitution.

OTOH, if someone is tried and then convicted of a crime, they are free to bring up their mental health at the time of the crime (as opposed to the time of the trial as above) as a mitigating factor at sentencing. That may or may not be persuasive in altering the sentence - after all there is already a conviction in place.

More likely, the convict will be sent to a prison where they will get mental health treatment for whatever the issue is, in a prison equipped to handle it.

If and when that treatment is successful, the rest of the sentence will be served out normally in the general population or elsewhere as circumstances dictate.

I know there are some differences between US and Canadian society, but I highly doubt Canada differs remarkably from the outline above.

Answer 4

Obviously he has a mental illness, he ate a friggin' guy!

People with mental illnesses usually can't tell the difference between right and wrong. They've got the mind of 4 year olds.