Mental illness ‘excuse’ rejected

KUWAIT CITY, July 26: The Criminal Court sentenced a citizen to death for the premeditated murder his wife, and rejected request of his attorney to reduce the sentence to life imprisonment on grounds his client has a file at the psychiatric hospital, reports Al- Qabas daily. This ruling is considered the first of its kind, after the Court of Cassation established a principle by text that mental illness does not exempt from criminal responsibility.

The accused had committed his crime in Al-Ardhiya area after he lured his wife to meet him to settle the dispute between them following disagreements between them, after which she was staying in her father’s house days after giving birth.

The convict asked her to go out with him to come to an understanding to solve some problems, and took the opportunity and killed her. The Court of Cassation, in a previous ruling published by Al-Qabas, confirmed that mental illness is not always a condition for lack of responsibility. Other provisions made it clear that common sense must prevent committing some crimes, even if the perpetrator claims that he is unaware because of the mental stimulus he was taking at the time of the crime