ON ARSON COMMITTED BY SCHIZOPHRENICS

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was primarily to clarify motives for arson. The statements of the mental examination of 30 schizophrenics who had committed arson plus 30 other arsonists for controls were examined.Expressions of hate were equally often the principle motive in both groups or in about half of the cases. Other expressions of hate associated with arson itself, and previous aggressiveness toward the victim were equally common. For the controls, however, expressions of hate were more often directed against family, relations and acquaintances, whereas for the schizophrenics they were directed against outsiders or the community as a whole. This difference approached statistical significance (P<.05). The arsons were sometimes associated with drunkenness, which triggered off aggressiveness more often in the controls than in the schizophrenics. This difference was statistically especially significant (P<.001).Hallucinations and delusions were principal motives in 30% of the schizophrenics statistically significantly more than in the controls (P<.01). Motives of hate were combined on top of psychotic motives in some cases. The objects for arson chosen by the schizophrenics were often places where nobody lived even temporarily, and thus harmless in this respect. For the controls, the objects were more often residential houses. This difference was statistically significant (P<.01) and could be considered to reflect either a desire to see fire only and/or an impulsive action in a psychotic state on the part of the schizophrenics. The attainment of sexual pleasure from watching the fire was not the essential factor except in a few cases. Contrary to the controls, there were no cases whatsoever of insurance fraud as motive for arson among the schizophrenics.