Tovic Salvador

Past psychiatric records not needed to prove legal insanity, SC rules

Article (news)

Adrian Ayalin

ABS-CBN News

MANILA -- The Supreme Court has ruled that an individual does not need documented history of mental illness to claim legal insanity as a defense in court. In a decision penned by Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa and promulgated on October 9, 2024, the court acquitted an accused due to insanity. The accused was found naked, covered in blood and chanting religious phrases over her best friend’s lifeless body, the court noted. She was also reported as hearing the Virgin Mary’s voice instructing her to place a cross into the victim’s heart, among other commands. The court said in the decision that while prior medical records can be relevant, they are not required to prove that the accused’s medical condition led to the crime. The SC further stated that the absence of documented psychiatric history should not be taken against the accused claiming legal insanity. “The SC overturned their rulings and found that the accused showed enough evidence of insanity at the time of the crime,” the court said in a statement. The SC also acknowledged the unfair burden on impoverished individuals who may not have access to psychiatric care. “To require prior medical records “puts the impoverished at a disadvantaged position, who, due to circumstances beyond their control, are forced to brush aside conditions of their health in order to prioritize the immediate need to put food on the table and other necessities,” the SC said.

The Supreme Court has ruled that an individual does not need documented history of mental illness to claim legal insanity as a defense in court.

The Supreme Court has ruled that an individual does not need documented history of mental illness to claim legal insanity as a defense in court.