Demographic, clinical and forensic characteristics of alleged offenders referred to West End Specialised Hospital, Kimberley, South Africa.

The study investigated demographic, clinical and forensic characteristics of alleged offenders referred for forensic assessment. A data collection form was used to gather information from 155 offenders' clinical records. The subjects were mainly young males, aged between 18 and 35 years, with low educational levels and high unemployment rate. The most common diagnoses were substance-related and addictive disorders, and schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders. A sizeable number of offenders were diagnosed with an intellectual disability. The comorbidity of other medical conditions such as epilepsy and HIV/AIDS was also noteworthy. In total, 55.5% of the offenders were found competent to stand trial, and 46.5% were declared criminally responsible. Offenders presenting with schizophrenia and intellectual disabilities were often declared incompetent to stand trial and were generally not responsible for alleged crimes. There was association between adjudicative competence and criminal responsibility. The results highlight effect of substances on mental illness and crime.