Roberto Catanesi, Felice Carabellese, Donatella La Tegola, Egle Alfarano
Section of Criminology and Forensic Psychiatry, University of Bari, Piazza Giulio Cesare, 70124 Bari, Italy.
Journal of forensic sciences 2013 JanThere are few studies of female stalkers in literature addressing different study populations. There appears to be a high incidence of mental disease among female stalkers, having an important role in inducing the harassment. We present a woman affected by a bipolar disorder who had a long affair with her victim, broken off in 2007. Stalking began in January 2009 and continued for 6 months, during which time she was not taking drugs and was in a decompensated clinical phase. In July 2009, she was denounced for harassment; the authorities demanded a psychiatric examination. The woman then resumed taking the medication regularly. In December 2009, although she was in complete remission, she began stalking once more. This case shows that even when there seems to be an evident relation between psychopathology and crime, it is always necessary to evaluate to what extent the mental disorder is responsible for the criminal behavior. © 2012 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.
Roberto Catanesi, Felice Carabellese, Donatella La Tegola, Egle Alfarano. Coexistence and independence between a mental disorder and female stalking. Journal of forensic sciences. 2013 Jan;58(1):251-4
PMID: 22783879
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