The Court of Appeal in Tangier ruled that a patient named “Abdel Halim” is not criminally responsible for strangling a person to death inside a psychiatric hospital.
The court found that the accused was completely lacking in responsibility at the time of the alleged act of “intentional murder” due to a mental disorder that impaired his awareness and judgment. He has been ordered to be exempted and transferred to a mental health institution for treatment.
The court decided to keep the detainment in effect until the accused is actually transferred to the treatment facility, and to impose legal costs on his guardian.
According to available information, Abdel Halim had been a patient in the hospital for a year and a half. During the trial session, he stated that he was not aware during the crime, claiming he believed he was under attack and acted in self-defense against the person he “thought was assaulting him,” ultimately strangling him to death.
The defendant’s counsel affirmed that he suffers from schizophrenia, and medical evidence supports his mental illness.
Source
