Mental evaluation finds that nurse in poisoning case understood consequences of actions

Aino Nykopp

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A psychiatric evaluation of a Helsinki basic care nurse found on Friday that the woman, 60-year-old Aino Kerttu Annikki Nykopp, was mentally competent when she administered overdoses of medicine to 11 elderly patients under her care and one colleague between 2004 and 2009. Five of the patients died.
      The findings of the examination were presented to Helsinki District Court on Friday.
     
The court found already in May that the defendant had actually committed the poisonings. Nykopp herself had consistently denied the crimes.
      The results were made public, although usually mental evaluations are documents that are kept a confidential.
     
The court decided, however, that this exceptional series of crimes has implications for both public and private health care.
      The court felt that releasing the information gives at least a partial explanation for what was behind the crimes, and that it would help evaluate the reliability of health care services.
      The defence sharply objected to the release of the information.
     
The report states that Nykopp has a personality disorder, which could be seen to explain why she did what she did. She has a tendency to lie, manipulate people, accuse others, and to gloss over her own behaviour.
      In spite of this, the examiners found that the defendant’s ability to understand the nature of her actions and their illegality had not been diminished.
      State Prosecutor Leena Metsäpelto says that the ultimate motivation for the actions is likely to remain a mystery.
     
In the interim decision the poisonings were ascribed to Nykopp’s interest in the medicines, and the property of her patients.
      “A person who is able to manipulate others can easily establish a rapport with patients, and gain their confidence. In such a setup it is easy cause harm, if the person wants to do so”, Metsäpelto says.
      The court will give its final decision on December 22nd.
      On that day it will be established whether or not Nykopp is one of the worst serial killers in Finnish legal history.
     
Nykopp’s lawyer Heikki Lampela said that his client expects to get a life sentence, and is ready to appeal the sentence.
      “She still feels strongly that she has done nothing wrong”, Lampela said.
      He also says that while in prison, Nykopp has married a man about 20 years younger than her.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Case of nurse suspected of poisoning reveals problems in information sharing among officials (22.5.2009)
  Police exhume body at cemetery in murder investigation (20.5.2009)
  Nurse found guilty of poisoning elderly patients; psychiatric evaluation called for (14.5.2010)
  Trial of nurse accused of multiple murders begins (13.1.2010)

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