Victoria sees sharp rise in homicides by people with psychosis, experts blame mental health system failures

Data compiled by forensic psychiatrist Rajan Darjee indicates that 43 of roughly 126 homicides in Victoria during 2024 and 2025 were carried out by people diagnosed with psychosis, marking a fourfold rise from ten years earlier. The study, based on surveys of nine forensic psychiatrists, found that 84% of these offenders had previously received mental-health services and half were connected to a provider when the offenses occurred.

Experts such as Patrick McGorry, former chair of the state’s mental-health Royal Commission, attribute the trend to a public-policy failure to replace outdated psychiatric hospitals and to the poor rollout of commission recommendations. Colmán O'Driscoll warned that reduced use of compulsory treatment orders, encouraged by recent legislation, may have left high-risk patients without necessary care. The commentators urge a comprehensive review of the mental-health system, increased funding for long-term treatment, and a re-balancing of “least-restrictive” policies with public safety concerns. Minister for Mental Health Ingrid Stitt declined specific comment, emphasizing the system’s focus on safe, compassionate care.