[Diagnostic Criteria of PTSD in ICD10, ICD-11 and DSM 5: Relevance for expert opinion]. / Posttraumatische Belastungsstörung in ICD 10, ICD 11 und DSM 5: Welche Bedeutung haben unterschiedlichen Kriterien für Diagnostik und gutachtliche Praxis.

The diagnostic criteria of PTSD differ in the ICD-10, ICD-11 and DSM-5 manuals. The main diagnostic criteria are presented. The psychopathological findings obtained in a structured interview are essential for the diagnosis. Three case studies are used to illustrate the expert assessment in criminal law, accident insurance and victim compensation law.

[Diagnostic Criteria of PTSD in ICD10, ICD-11 and DSM 5: Relevance for expert opinion]. / Posttraumatische Belastungsstörung in ICD 10, ICD 11 und DSM 5: Welche Bedeutung haben unterschiedlichen Kriterien für Diagnostik und gutachtliche Praxis.

The diagnostic criteria of PTSD differ in the ICD-10, ICD-11 and DSM-5 manuals. The main diagnostic criteria are presented. The psychopathological findings obtained in a structured interview are essential for the diagnosis. Three case studies are used to illustrate the expert assessment in criminal law, accident insurance and victim compensation law.

[Legal Capacity in patients with post-stroke-aphasia]. / Beurteilung der Geschäftsfähigkeit und Testierfähigkeit bei Schlaganfallpatienten mit Aphasie.

Aphasia is a frequent cognitive disorder after stroke. Despite a high prevalence, there is comparatively little medical literature or high court jurisdiction concerning the question if aphasia impairs patients in their legal capacity.Imaging studies allow a detailed understanding of the underlying pathology of aphasia, the resulting clinical pictures and potential mechanisms of recovery. Based on functional-anatomical models of language and associated concepts of inner speech, the impact of language disorders on legal capacity is evaluated. A phase model for the assessment of patients with aphasia is proposed, accounting for different stages of potential recovery after stroke.In practice, evaluation of the prerequisites for legal capacity or incapacity in patients with aphasia requires an interdisciplinary cooperation between neurologists, psychiatrists and speech language therapists. In cases of ex-post assessment, the evaluation of legal incapacity at a specific date, however, relies on a detailed documentation of the patient's language impairment and its recovery. To overcome the current limitations standardized and test-based assessment of neuropsychiatric and language capacities after acute hospital treatment and rehabilitation treatment is desirable.

[The new law on strengthening the rights of victims of sexual abuse and its implications for the forensic-psychiatric assessment of sexual offenders]. / Das neue Gesetz zur Stärkung der Rechte von Opfern sexuellen Missbrauchs und seine Bedeutung für die strafrechtliche Begutachtung von Sexualstraftätern.

OBJECTIVES: Highlighting practical implications and research aspects of forensic-psychiatric assessments in the context of the new law on strengthening the rights of victims of sexual abuse. METHODS: Based on a clinical case we report implications for the forensic-psychiatric assessment. RESULTS: The new law now requires an expert to evaluate the necessity and the subject's motivation to receive a given treatment. Up to now, the majority of sexual offenders were assumed to be responsible for their actions and in most cases a forensic-psychiatric assessment was not required. For this reason, guidelines for forensic-psychiatric assessments are urgently needed. CONCLUSION: The number of forensic-psychiatric assessments is likely to increase substantially and a relevant-case law is still lacking.

Are stalkers disordered or criminal? Thoughts on the psychopathology of stalking.

Although stalking is a widespread phenomenon that can be caused by different motives, consideration of the psychopathological underpinnings of stalking behaviour is scarce. In rare cases, stalking can be an expression of mental disorder. Psychotic stalking, for example, can occur as a symptom of schizophrenia or erotomania. Psychotic stalkers are criminally not responsible for their acts and have to be treated in a psychiatric hospital. The majority of stalkers, however, do not suffer from a disorder in need of treatment, and therefore their criminal responsibility is not diminished. Although legislative approaches to protecting victims of stalking differ widely in the European Union, mentally not severely disturbed stalkers can be prosecuted and punished according to criminal law in most countries. In some cases, the differentiation between mentally sane and mentally disturbed stalkers is difficult. This paper focuses on the psychopathology of such 'borderline cases', using the example of a court decision in Germany.

[Liaison psychiatry in the prison of Rottenburg (Germany)]. / Psychiatrische Konsiliartätigkeit in der Justizvollzugsanstalt Rottenburg.

The aim of this study was to get an idea of the need of psychiatric therapy in a prison. We report on the period May 2000 to January 2002. 60 medical files with the sociodemographic variables and the psychiatric diagnosis were evaluated. 45 % of the examined prisoners had a diagnosis of drug- or alcohol dependency and 31.3 % had a diagnosis of a schizophrenia. In 26.7 % the therapy was successful and the prisoners improved. This results show a great need of psychiatric therapy in a prison. Also in a prison improvements in the course of psychic disturbances are possible.

[Insanity defense in post-traumatic stress disorder]. / Verminderte Schuldfähigkeit bei posttraumatischer Belastungsstörung (PTSD)?

We report the forensic psychiatric evaluation of a 40 year old Iraqi who suffers from a posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She committed multiple non violent shopliftings. We mention criteria for a possible causal relationship between the PTSD and the crimes and discuss, why we affirm a insanity defense in this case.