How to deal with dementia patients who break the law

It was far from typical behaviour for a 76-year-old former junior college teacher. Lim See Poi was recently sentenced to 15 months jail for a string of molestation offences.

- Faisal Johandi and Philip Yap

One key point to note here is that Lim suffered from frontotemporal dementia. As Singapore ages and more people are afflicted with neurodegenerative disease, such cases could become more common and bring into focus the criminal responsibility of dementia patients.

Memory loss is just one aspect of dementia. Lim's condition impacts impulse control and judgment. It can result in socially deviant behaviours. While judges sympathise with dementia patients, they also cannot overlook the harm caused to the victims. In 2019, Yong Kok Kwong, a 69-year-old man with dementia, was jailed for 12 weeks after a fatal altercation with his roommate. Both our legal and healthcare systems will have to brace themselves for such cases.

Individuals with dementia may exhibit uncharacteristic behaviours, particularly as they find themselves unable to control their impulses. This could lead to offences such as shoplifting, littering and undressing in the public.