In class Monday, during our current events discussion the issue of what is “insanity” and when are you not held responsible for a crime you committed was brought up. Hannah’s article talked about a woman who murdered her children because “the voices in her head told her to”. The woman also said that the “voices” told her to kill her self, but she didn’t. Why is it that she listened to the “voices” when they told her to kill her children but when it came to her own life she didn’t listen? The women plead insanity. Someone who is truly insane would not have the luxury of choosing when they will listen the “voices” telling them what to do. This case brought up good questions from the class. What is “insane”? The general definition of insane is “not sane; not of sound mind; mentally deranged.” Typically in a criminal case if someone pleads insanity the basic definition is that the person is unable to tell right from wrong. Who decides what is insane and what is normal? The subject of pleading insanity is a very sensitive subject.
My current event article was about an 18-year-old boy, John Mullarkey, who killed his girlfriend, Demi Cuccia, and blamed his actions on an acne medication he was taking. John gave a written statement that said, “If someone did something, and they were on medication, would they be found guilty?” This question goes back to the idea of insanity. If someone is taking a medication that alters their state of mind can they too plea insanity? Can they be held responsible if their actions may have been caused by a side effect of a medication they were taking? John Mullarkey was taking Accutane, an acne medication, at the time of the murder. Rare potential side effects of Accutane include depression, psychosis, suicide, hearing and vision problems, blindness from increased pressure on the brain, damage to the liver, pancreas, intestines or esophagus. The potential side effects of Accutane are extreme, but can they be responsible for the murder of a 16-year-old girl? I believe that Mullarkey is solely responsible for the murder of Demi Cuccia. Even though he was taking this potentially mind altering drug John had been witnessed before threatening to kill Demi. Mullarkey knew right from wrong and he knew that what he was doing was bad. Before the murder Mullarkey showed no other of the potential side effects caused by taking Accutane.
Could an insanity plea is just a way to try and get away with murder… In both Hannah’s article and my article, no matter how you look at it, someone is taking the lives of innocent people.
What do you think? What is insane to you?