‘You may kiss the bride, but you may not open your mouth when you do so’: policies concerning sex, marriage and relationships in English forensic psychiatric facilities

Bartlett, Peter; Mantovani, Nadia; Cratsley, Kelso; Dillon, Claire; Eastman, Nigel

Abstract

In 1996, the Royal College of Psychiatrists recommended that all psychiatric facilities in the UK develop policies concerning sexuality and sexual expression for persons contained in those facilities. This paper analyses the prevalence and content of such policies in English forensic psychiatric facilities. While the College recommends an individualised approach to sexual and emotional relationships, most hospitals in fact either prohibit or actively discourage such expression as a matter of policy. The paper considers the advantages and disadvantages of that approach. The paper also considers the legal issues surrounding these policies, and in particular the legal authority for governing the sexual and emotional expression of hospital residents and the relevant human rights implications.

Citation

Bartlett, P., Mantovani, N., Cratsley, K., Dillon, C., & Eastman, N. (2010). ‘You may kiss the bride, but you may not open your mouth when you do so’: policies concerning sex, marriage and relationships in English forensic psychiatric facilities. Liverpool Law Review, 31(2), https://doi.org/10.1007/s10991-010-9078-5

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2010
• Deposit Date: Feb 18, 2011
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 18, 2011
• Journal: Liverpool Law Review
• Print ISSN: 0144-932X
• Electronic ISSN: 1572-8625
• Publisher: Springer Verlag
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 31
• Issue: 2
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10991-010-9078-5
• Keywords: Emotional expression; Forensic psychiatry; Governance of psychiatric hospitals; Psychiatric hospitals; Sexual expression and human rights; Sexuality
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1012424
• Publisher URL: http://www.springerlink.com/content/75386570425041x6/