title: [Assassination of Henri IV, mental disorders and criminal responsibility].
abstract: On 14th May 1610, François Ravaillac, a delusional mystic, assassinated King Henri IV. Under the Ancien Regime, regicide was considered as a supreme act of patricide and received the ultimate punishment even if the perpetrator showed obvious signs of insanity. What would the situation be today? A study of this notorious historical episode provides a reflection on the way dangerousness linked to mental disorders has been viewed and treated over the last four centuries.
authors.affiliation: UMD, CH de Cadillac-sur-Garonne. jean_pierre_bouchard@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Bouchard
mesh_terms: D002410:Catholicism / Q000266:history; D003416:Criminal Law / Q000266:history*; D003702:Delusions / Q000266:history*; D005197:Famous Persons; D005602:France; D049670:History, 17th Century; D006708:Homicide / Q000266:history*; D006801:Humans; D008512:Medicine in the Arts; D010151:Paintings / Q000266:history; D033303:Protestantism / Q000266:history