One in three Victorian homicides involve psychosis despite prior treatment
About one in three Victorian homicides in 2024-2025 were by people with psychosis. This is a fourfold increase from a decade earlier.
Forensic psychiatrist Dr Rajan Darjee studied Victoria's homicides. Over two years, 43 of about 126 killings involved people with psychosis.
The 43 killings resulted in 45 deaths. Half of all killings by strangers were by people with psychosis.
So were two in three killings within families. Almost 84 per cent of the killers had been treated for mental health before.
Half were still in contact with services when they killed. Experts say many deaths could have been prevented with better early intervention.
Professor Patrick McGorry chaired the expert advisory committee for the Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System. He said the surge reflects public policy failure.
Old psychiatric hospitals were not replaced with modern community-based care. The government has delayed or poorly enacted the commission's recommendations.
- 43 of 126
- Homicides by psychosis
- 45
- Deaths caused
- Fourfold
- Increase from decade ago
- 84 per cent
- Prior treatment rate
Why it mattersThe data shows serious gaps in Victoria's mental health system. Homicides are the visible crisis. But far more people with psychosis struggle unseen.
AustraliaVictorians are at risk because the state's mental health system is failing to provide early, effective treatment to people with psychosis who become violent; the homicides are the extreme end of a broader breakdown in care.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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