Family victims make up 60% of murders at the Central Mental Hospital

The report said that, for the first time, five of the reviews were the 46th or 47th conducted for those individuals, suggesting they have been detained in the Central Mental Hospital for up to 23 years. File picture: Colin Keegan/Collins

Family members were the victims of almost 60% of people detained for murder at the Central Mental Hospital,  figures show.

The Mental Health (Criminal Law) Review Board is charged with examining the detention of people sent to the CMH after being found not guilty by reason of insanity or unfit to stand trial.

The board also reviews the detention of prisoners with a serious mental disorder, transferred from the prison system to the hospital.

In its 2025 annual report, the board said it reviewed the files of 99 people: 41 were charged with, or convicted of murder; eight for manslaughter or attempted murder; 32 for assault; and five for arson.

Of these, 63% of people were diagnosed with schizophrenia, 20% with schizoaffective disorder, and 17% with other disorders, such as bipolar affective disorder, autism, and delusional disorder.

A total of 215 reviews were carried out in respect of the 99 individuals. There is a legal obligation that reviews take place every six months, meaning some people are assessed more than once in a year.

Some 138 (64%) of the reviews were people found not guilty by reason of insanity; 36 (17%) people deemed unfit to stand trial/plead; and 36 prisoners involuntarily transferred from prison.

Four patients (5%) were granted a conditional discharge. They had been held for an average of nine years, with stays ranging from seven to 12 years.

In making their decision, review board chair Mr Justice Seamus Noonan said they “must have regard to the welfare and safety of the patient and to the public interest”.

The report said that, for the first time, five of the reviews were the 46th or 47th conducted for those individuals, suggesting they have been detained for up to 23 years.

In a further 21 cases, the reviews were between the 41st and 45th conducted for those individuals, indicating they have been detained in the CMH for around 20 to 22 years.

Of the 41 people detained for murder, 24 cases (59%) involved a victim who was a family member.

In 11 (26%) of cases, the victim was known to the person. In six cases, the murder victim was a stranger.

Of the eight people charged with or convicted of attempted murder or manslaughter, three cases (38%) involved victims who were family members or known to them, while five involved strangers.

Of the 32 assault cases, six (19%) were family members, seven (22%) were people known to them, and 19 (59%) were strangers.

There were seven applications for unconditional discharge from patients already on conditional discharge, five of which were granted.

• Cormac O'Keefe is Security Correspondent.