• Catoblepas
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    11 months ago

    That’s not how the insanity defense works. And even if it did you probably wouldn’t want to use it, because mental hospitals are a lot harder to get out of than prison.

    • pewter@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      In 2008 a man decapitated someone on a Greyhound, he taunted the other bus riders by showing them the severed head, and he ate some of the body in front of the other passengers. His lawyers used the insanity plea. He served his time and was let out in 2017.

      If he didn’t plead insanity, I’d be extremely surprised if he weren’t still in jail.

      https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Tim_McLean

      • Catoblepas
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        11 months ago

        Yeah, as that took place in Canada and most countries treat mental health problems much better than the US, like the incident in the OP. If he had cannibalized someone in the US he might not even be alive.

    • xor@sh.itjust.works
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      11 months ago

      i did not say, “insanity defense”, nor did i imply it.

      i find your replying to me as if i did, quite vexing.

      on my first impression, these are the actions of someone who is unable to control themself, and as such, should be treated as a mental health case instead of a normal violent offender. there’s more to the story, of course.

      i also think mental hospitals and prisons should be drastically reformed…

      • Catoblepas
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        11 months ago

        Sorry, I was assuming by “criminally insane” you meant “not guilty by reason of criminal insanity” aka the insanity defense.

        I agree that he probably needs mental health treatment regardless of whether or not he has any additional punishment.

        • xor@sh.itjust.works
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          11 months ago

          i used criminally insane because not all mentally ill people need to be locked up away from society…
          obviously, uncontrolled rage means you should be locked up for a bit…