Suicide outside of prison settings among males under investigation for sex offenses in Ireland during 1990 to 1999.

Thirty-two cases of suicide outside prison were identified among 7008 Irish men under investigation for sexual offenses between 1990 and 1999. Previously this risk category has not been identified. Risk ratios of 1/1644 for those accused of offenses against adults, and 1/24 for those accused of offending against minors, respectively, were estimated based on the conservative estimates found here. The increase in the base rate of suicide in Ireland during the study period is an insufficient explanation. The frequency is comparable to prison suicides for the period, and the population of risk may overlap. The incidence increases over the study period. It outpaces increases in prosecutions and may reflect responses to the changing social environment of these investigations. These men use community psychiatric services that may need to become aware of the increased risk of suicide they pose.