People with mental disorders as criminal offenders

Tema ovog rada je specifična grupa počinitelja kaznenih djela – osobe sa duševnim smetnjama. Tek početkom novog vijeka osobe sa duševnim smetnjama su prepoznate kao različita skupina u vidu zločina koje vrše i njihovog kažnjavanja, no prošla su mnoga stoljeća do uređenje njihovog pravnog statusa. Današnji zakonski sustav koji definira njihova prava i obveze se razlikuje od zemlje do zemlje. Odnos društva prema njima, u moralnom i pravnom smislu, je ambivalentan – društvo prepoznaje njihovu nevinost i potrebu za zaštitom, ali uviđa i njihovu opasnost za druge. Zakonska regulativa u RH se mijenjala nekoliko puta, a najvažnije promjene su bile 1997. godine kada su osobe sa duševnim smetnjama izuzete iz kaznenopravnog okvira, odnosno kažnjavanja te su prešle pod okrilje Zakona o zaštiti osoba s duševnim smetnjama (ZZODS) i promjenom Kaznenog zakona 2011. kada se omogućuje njihovo sankcioniranje u određenim situacijama. Neovisno o zakonskom okviru, praksa pokazuje nepoštivanja zakona u pogledu predugog zadržavanja neubrojivih počinitelja u neodgovarajućim ustanovama i pod neodgovarajućim uvjetima, nedovoljnu educiranost osoba zaduženih za njih te nedostatak kontrole tijekom cijelog procesa. Iako se promjene u zakonodavstvu događaju u skladu sa stvarnim potrebama i pod utjecajem međunarodnih zakona, potrebno je senzibilizirati javnost i stručnjake. Osobe sa duševnim smetnjama najčešće boluju od shizofrenije, u kombinaciji s alkoholizmom te najčešće čine kaznena djela protiv imovine. Često su pod utjecajem afekta pri počinjenju djela.This paper is about specific group of offenders – people with mental disabilities. From beginning of the modern age, people with mental disabilities have been recognized as a different in terms of the crimes they commit and their punishments, but many centuries have passed since their legal status was regulated. Today's legal system defining their rights and obligations differs from country to country. The attitude of society to them, in the moral and legal sense, is ambivalent – society recognizes their innocence and need for protection, but sees their danger to others as well. Legislation in the Republic of Croatia has changed several times, and the most important changes were in 1997. When persons with psychological disorders were excluded from criminal law or punishment and went beyond the scope of the Law on the Protection of Persons with Mental Disabilities (ZZODS) and second important change happened in 2011. When it is made possible to sanction them in certain situations. Regardless of the legal frame work, there is a lack of compliance with the laws in practice regarding the inadequate detention of mentally incompetent perpetrators in inappropriate institutions and under inadequate conditions, insufficient education of persons in charge of the man lack of control throughout the process. Although the law changes the scope of the international law, it is necessary to sensitize the public and experts. People with psychological disorders usually suffer from schizophrenia, combined with alcoholism, and most often commit unlaw facts against property. They are often under the influence of affect in committing the offense