Diagnósticos e memórias: estudo de caso de uma vida marcada pelo crime e pela loucura

Abstract

This study aims at discussing the mentally ill criminal category in light of the former Heitor Carrilho Custody and Treatment hospital female inmate´s life remains for more than three decades, named Maria dos Anjos by taking into account: a. the articulation between two conundrums of human nature, crime and madness encompassed by the term mentally ill criminal; b. the damaging consequences of one among many diagnoses assigned to her, namely psychopathy; c. the subjective damages that arose from long periods of institutionalization as well as her life remains and some practices of resistance employed throughout her institutional career. Inmate´s file records, research field notes that have registered activities in and out of the institution and transcripts of research interviews granted by the patient integrate the research data. The analysis has pointed out that a winding life story is marked by a path on different custodial and treatment institutions and by nuances which indicates that the selected intervention strategies have not been followed by the expected clinical effects since Maria dos Anjos remained delusional. It is also highlighted that the doubt whether the intern would have benefited more from a treatment in a forensic hospital or a prison has remained.