Abstract

Objective: The assessment of criminal behavior in older adults is an increasingly important topic in the field of forensic psychiatry. This study aims to examine the nature of offenses committed by individuals aged 65 and above, the role of cognitive functioning in these offenses, and the profiles of the victims involved.
Methods: The sample consisted of 32 individuals aged 65 or over at the time of the offence, who were referred for criminal responsibility assessments, and 23 age-matched individuals who were referred for legal evaluations related to guardianship or competency. All participants were administered a neuropsychological battery including the Standardized Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Digit Span Test, Clock Drawing Test, Verbal Fluency Test, and Proverb Interpretation Test. Awareness of current events was also evaluated.
Results: While no significant differences were observed in overall cognitive performance between groups, the offender group showed significantly lower scores in the attention and calculation subdomain of the MMSE. Notably, semantic fluency scores were significantly lower in first-time offenders compared to those with prior criminal records. Among the offender group, 75% of offenses were premeditated, with intentional homicide (34.4%) and sexual offenses (25%) being the most frequent crimes. Most victims were part of the offender’s social circle, such as spouses, neighbors, or friends. A majority of the offender group (71.9%) demonstrated a high level of awareness of current events.
Conclusion: While cognitive impairments may affect criminal conduct in a subset of elderly offenders, no substantial cognitive deterioration was detected in the entire group of older criminals. The frequency of premeditated offenses and the likelihood of victims being from the offender's immediate circle suggest that these actions may be more closely associated with psychosocial factors than with cognitive decline.

Key words: Criminal Responsibility, Forensic Psychiatry, MMSE, Neuropsychology, Premeditated Crime