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Functional Psychosis and Witchcraft Fears: Excuses to Criminal Responsibility in East Africa

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 July 2024

Lutapimwa L. Kato
Lutapimwa L. Kato*
Affiliation:
University College, Dar-es-Salaam
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Extract

The belief that serious or acute mental problems are only prevalent in urbanized and technologically advanced societies and absent in preindustrial, largely rural, African societies is an exaggeration (Milner, 1966). Mental disorder, however, is not a major concern of East African legal systems. The social fabric in East African societies is still closely knit and thus provides ways to treat or take care of the deviants. Large-scale industrial development, which enhances the likelihood of behavioral aberrations in the industrialized societies of Europe and America, has not yet taken place, and thus the peasants of East Africa have been spared its ill effects.

Type
Research Article
Information
Law & Society Review , Volume 4 , Issue 3 , February 1970 , pp. 385 - 406
Copyright
Copyright © 1970 by the Law and Society Association.

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Footnotes

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I am grateful to Professor Henry Forster who read the original draft for many helpful comments and suggestions, also to Mr. Kanywanyi who read and made several suggestions as to style. Special thanks to Dr. Swift, Government Psychiatric Consultant, Tanzania, who read the original draft and made some suggestions which led to many improvements. I also thank him for his encouragement in writing this article. Of course the views and errors that may be found remain the responsibility of the author.

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