Analisis Pertimbangan Hakim Dalam Kasus Pembunuhan Yang Dilakukan Oleh Pengidap Skizofrenia (Studi Putusan Nomor 2353/Pid.B. 2018/PN.MDN Dan Putusan Nomor 1675/K/PID/2024)

Abstract

This thesis examines the judicial considerations in criminal cases involving perpetrators diagnosed with schizophrenia. The central issue focuses on how judges formulate their legal reasoning in sentencing defendants diagnosed with schizophrenia in murder cases, and how the mental condition influences criminal responsibility. This research employs a normative and comparative juridical approach by analyzing two court decisions: Decision Number 2353/Pid.B/2018/PN.MDN and Decision Number 1675/K/Pid/2024. The findings indicate that although both defendants were diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, the legal considerations applied by the judges differed at each level of the judiciary. In both decisions, the court ruled that the defendants remained criminally responsible despite their mental illness, as expert testimony concluded that their condition did not entirely eliminate their ability to understand the nature and consequences of their actions. This demonstrates that mental disorders do not automatically absolve criminal liability unless it is convincingly proven that such disorders nullify the individual’s capacity for responsibility. Thus, this study emphasizes the importance of thorough psychiatric evaluation in determining the criminal responsibility of mentally ill offenders and highlights the need for consistency in applying the principles of criminal law to perpetrators with mental disorders.