Prevalence and characteristics of offenders with intellectual disability referred for forensic observations at Thabamoopo Hospital, Limpopo

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine IDD (Intellectual Developmental Disorder) prevalence and associated characteristics of offenders referred to Thabamoopo Hospital for forensic mental observation from January 2016 to December 2018. Thereafter, quantitative, descriptive research was conducted to determine the offenders’ profiles, the types of offences they had committed and their forensic outcomes. Data collection was conducted using a structured data collection form. Offenders with IDD were 88 (23.3%). All were male, mostly aged between 21 and 29 years, single and unemployed. The majority (65, 9%) had Mild IDD. Psychometric tests were used to diagnose IDD in 78% of the offenders. Medical comorbidities were present in 11% of the cases. Offenders with mild IDD (68%) were found to be using one or more substances, with alcohol the commonest. There was no statistical significant relationship between the nature of the offences and the severity of the IDD (p > 0.05). Rape, murder and assault GBH were the commonest alleged offences. Of the rape case, 66% were committed by offenders with mild IDD. Forty-seven per cent of the offenders were found not fit to stand trial and not criminally responsible, with the usual recommendation that they must be admitted to psychiatric hospitals for care, treatment and rehabilitation. This also implied that 53% of the offenders with IDD would follow normal court proceedings, with the possible outcome of being incarcerated in correctional facilities or being acquitted. It is therefore necessary to consider strategies to help reduce offending behaviour amongst individuals with IDD, minimize the undesirable consequences of offending amongst the individuals with IDD and to re-integrate them back to society.