Pre-trial reported defendants in the Netherlands with intellectual disability, borderline and normal intellectual functioning.
BACKGROUND
Intellectually disabled offenders may have different characteristics than offenders with average intellectual functioning. We therefore compared pre-trial reported defendants with an IQ score ≤70, 71-84 and ≥85 points.


METHODS
Nationwide database of pre-trial psychiatric reports requested by Dutch courts between 2000 and 2006 with a reported level of intellectual functioning (n = 12 186).


RESULTS
Defendants with an IQ score between 71 and 84 (n = 2 439 reports; 20.0%) and ≤70 (n = 539 reports; 4.4%) were younger, more often from an ethnic minority and more often diagnosed with psycho-organic syndromes, developmental and conduct disorders as compared with defendants with an IQ score of 85 or higher. In addition, there was an increased risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and rape as indicted crime and a decreased odds ratio of having a steady job and cannabis abuse in defendants with an IQ score of 71-84.


CONCLUSIONS
Intellectually disabled defendants have different characteristics than defendants without intellectually disability.
Netherlands Institute for Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology, Rotterdam, Netherlands. d.vinkers@dji.minjus.nl
David J
DJ
Vinkers
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D015897:Comorbidity; D003415:Crime / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007360:Intelligence; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D012042:Registries; D012742:Sex Offenses; D055815:Young Adult
crime; intellectual disability; offenders