The importance of a urine sample in persons intoxicated with flunitrazepam-legal issues in a forensic psychiatric case study of a serial murderer

The sedative–hypnotic benzodiazepine flunitrazepam (FZ) is abused worldwide. The purpose of our study was to investigate violence and anterograde amnesia following intoxication with FZ, and how this was legally evaluated in forensic psychiatric investigations with the objective of drawing some concl...

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Published in:	Forensic science international 2003-10, Vol.137 (1), p.21-27
Main Authors:	Dåderman, Anna Maria, Strindlund, Hans, Wiklund, Nils, Fredriksen, Svend-Otto, Lidberg, Lars
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Adult Adult and adolescent clinical studies Aggression - psychology Amnesia Amnesia, Anterograde - chemically induced Anterograde amnesia Anti-Anxiety Agents - adverse effects Anti-Anxiety Agents - pharmacokinetics Anti-Anxiety Agents - urine Biological and medical sciences Cocaine Drug dosages Drug toxicity and drugs side effects treatment Female Flunitrazepam Flunitrazepam - adverse effects Flunitrazepam - pharmacokinetics Flunitrazepam - urine Forensic analyses Forensic medicine Forensic psychiatry Forensic Psychiatry - methods Forensic sciences Homicide - psychology Humans Impulsive Behavior - chemically induced Insomnia Juvenile offenders Legal medicine Male Manslaughter Medical sciences Medicin och hälsovetenskap Memory Miscellaneous (drug allergy, mutagens, teratogens...) Murders & murder attempts Neuropsychology Pharmacology. Drug treatments Psychology Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry Psychopathology. Psychiatry Psykologi Robbery Semantics Social behavior disorders. Criminal behavior. Delinquency Stabbings Substance Abuse Detection - methods Substance-Related Disorders - diagnosis Substance-Related Disorders - urine Sweden Teenagers Urine sample Violence Violence - psychology Violent crime
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Summary:	The sedative–hypnotic benzodiazepine flunitrazepam (FZ) is abused worldwide. The purpose of our study was to investigate violence and anterograde amnesia following intoxication with FZ, and how this was legally evaluated in forensic psychiatric investigations with the objective of drawing some conclusions about the importance of urine sample in a case of a suspected intoxication with FZ. The case was a 23-year-old male university student who, intoxicated with FZ (and possibly with other substances such as diazepam, amphetamines or cannabis), first stabbed an acquaintance and, 2 years later, two friends to death. The police investigation files, including video-typed interviews, the forensic psychiatric files, and also results from the forensic autopsy of the victims, were compared with the information obtained from the case. Only partial recovery from anterograde amnesia was shown during a period of several months. Some important new information is contained in this case report: a forensic analysis of blood sample instead of a urine sample, might lead to confusion during police investigation and forensic psychiatric assessment (FPA) of an FZ abuser, and in consequence wrong legal decisions. FZ, alone or combined with other substances, induces severe violence and is followed by anterograde amnesia. All cases of bizarre, unexpected aggression followed by anterograde amnesia should be assessed for abuse of FZ. A urine sample is needed in case of suspected FZ intoxication. The police need to be more aware of these issues, and they must recognise that they play a crucial role in an assessment procedure. Declaring FZ an illegal drug is strongly recommended.
ISSN:	0379-0738 1872-6283 1872-6283