Risk assessment is not clear cut

Combating cases of combined filicide-homicide-suicide is about balancing rights and Una Butler has done us a service by opening the debate, writes Des Kavanagh

TO the general public, violence against self or others may be perceived as synonymous with mental ill- health. The reality is very different. The vast majority of people suffering mental ill-health present no danger to anyone.

Indeed, when one considers that 0.8% of the population suffers from some type of schizophrenia and that mental health issues are deemed to be the third most common reason for persons attending their GP, it becomes clear that the prevalence of mental ill-health in the population is very high and violence among that part of our population is miniscule.