[Criminal offenses by committed patients during compulsory treatment in a psychiatric hospital (Paragraph 63 of the Germany Penal Code). A contribution to the borderline between improvement and safety].

The incidence of recidivism and the dangerous nature of punishable offences committed by patients compulsorily hospitalised in psychiatric institutions in lieu of imprisonment, as prescribed by the German penal code, was the subject of a critical study carried out over 20 years among a population of criminally convicted men hospitalised at Haar District Psychiatric Hospital between 1962 and 1981. This study is intended to tone down emotionalised discussions on alleged public risks involved in relaxing restrictive measures for mentally diseased offenders. The results of our study would not justify revoking any steps already taken towards relaxation of conditions under which these offenders are serving their sentence, provided the safety risk is carefully weighed in each case before using more liberal treatment methods, and is assessed in relation to the expected therapeutic benefit.