Magic and forensic psychiatry: A case study and review of the literature

Abstract

Forensic psychiatrists routinely appear in courts for crimes that have been perpetrated by mentally ill patients or when the defendant is suffering from a major psychiatric disorder. However, committing crimes under the presumed effects of magic and witchcraft is uncommon. A variety of delusional thoughts and personality disorders have been imputed in aggressive behaviour that might culminate in homicide. The patterns of a premeditated homicide, as well as the aberrations of the interpersonal relations, as a rule require long-term and close contact. As such, the family is a setting where such occurrences have been reported. We describe a case of first-degree murder by a woman who killed her mother-in-law after accusing her repeatedly of sorcery and witchcraft. Such complicated cases cannot be resolved without the help of forensic experts, whose role remains multifaceted and of particular importance.

Keywords: Belief in magic; Witchcraft; Criminology; Forensic psychiatry

Core Tip: Belief in magic and spelling objects (witchcraft) are rarely object of the prosecutors’ investigations, a fact that may be related to the public abhorrence of the phenomenon itself. Family is a highly vulnerable setting, when there are no compensatory mechanisms for altercations and everyday quarrels. Such complicated cases cannot be resolved without the help of forensic psychiatrists, whose role remains multifaceted and of particular importance.