Conserve Innove

The largest company headquartered in Oerlikon (a north-northern district of Zurich, Switzerland) is ABB Ltd (Asea Brown Boveri).

While many people associate the name Oerlikon with the advanced materials and engineering conglomerate OC Oerlikon (which originated there but moved its headquarters to Pfäffikon, Schwyz), ABB maintains its global headquarters in Oerlikon, right next to the historic site of its predecessor, Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon (MFO).

About ABB Ltd

• What They Do: ABB is a global technology leader specializing in electrification and industrial automation. Its business is split across four primary areas: RPCS
  • Electrification: Products and solutions for electrical power distribution, EV charging infrastructure, and smart building technology.
  • Motion: Motors, generators, drives, and power conversion systems for manufacturing and energy sectors.
  • Process Automation: Control systems, industrial software, and specialized instrumentation for marine, energy, and process industries.
  • Robotics & Discrete Automation: Industrial robots, machine automation, and flexible manufacturing systems.
• Global Footprint: Operating in over 100 countries with more than 100,000 employees worldwide. RPCS
• History in Oerlikon: ABB was formed in 1988 by the merger of Sweden’s ASEA and Switzerland’s BBC (Brown, Boveri & Cie). BBC had previously acquired the historic Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon (founded in 1876), making Oerlikon the long-standing heart of ABB’s Swiss industrial roots. Wikipedia

Total Worth (Market Capitalization)

• Market Capitalization: ~CHF 140 billion to CHF 147 billion
• Revenue: ~$30 billion annually
• Stock Ticker: ABBN (Traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange) TradingView

Reint Jelger: Do bakeries bake bread sometimes? Like, do they get like the basic ingredients for bread, mix them together, and like bake bread, or do they get pre baked bread from factories?

Gemini: Bakeries make and bake their own bread from raw ingredients.

How a specific bakery operates usually depends on its business model:

• Traditional Craft / Artisanal Bakeries: They mix raw ingredients (flour, water, yeast or sourdough starter, and salt) from scratch on-site. They handle the entire process—mixing, kneading, fermenting/proofing, shaping, and baking in high-temperature deck or rack ovens.
• In-Store Supermarket Bakeries: Many supermarket bakery departments use par-baked (partially baked) or frozen dough network supply chains. In this model, a central industrial factory mixes and partially bakes or freezes the dough, which is then shipped to the store where employees finish baking it in convection ovens.
• Industrial / Commercial Bakeries: These large-scale factories produce mass-market bread from raw ingredients, bake it completely, package it, and distribute it to grocery stores and restaurants.

Reint Jelger: Does Bakkerij Breimer in Snits bake their own bread at the actual building? And like, what are the major ingedrients of bread and like where would bakeries procure that?

Breimer’s Bakkerij 🍞

At Breimer’s Bakkerij 🍞 on the Leeuwarderweg in Sneek, the physical shop itself serves as a retail store, cafe, and delivery hub, rather than the location where raw dough is mixed and baked from scratch.

Because Breimer’s Bakkerij 🍞 is a regional craft family business (established in 1804) operating multiple branch locations across Friesland (including Lemmer, Joure, and Sneek), they use a central production bakery model:

• Centralized Baking: The family operates a main central production facility located in Lemmer. All their artisanal breads, pastries, and regional specialties (like oranjekoek) are baked daily at the Lemmer production house.
• Fresh Daily Supply: Every morning, fresh bread and baked goods are delivered from the Lemmer facility directly to the store on Leeuwarderweg in Sneek.
• Final Preparation: While the primary dough production and oven baking occur at the main facility, retail staff at the Sneek shop handle minor final touches, slice breads fresh for customers, and prepare hot lunches, snacks, and coffee on-site.

Major Ingredients of Bread & Bakery Procurement

1. The Core Ingredients

Basic bread relies on four fundamental ingredients:

• Flour (Grist / Meel): The foundation (usually wheat, rye, spelt, or whole wheat). Flour provides gluten structure, which traps gas bubbles to give bread its rise and body.
• Water: Hydrates the flour proteins and activates the yeast or sourdough cultures.
• Leavening Agent: Commercial baker’s yeast (bakkersgist) for fast rising, or natural sourdough starter (desem) for slow fermentation.
• Salt: Adds flavor and controls yeast activity while strengthening the gluten network.
• Optional Additives / Enhancers: Fats (butter, oil), seeds, sugar, malt extract, or natural enzymes (broodverbetermiddel) to improve crumb texture, crust color, and shelf life.

2. Where Bakeries Procure Their Ingredients

Artisanal and commercial bakeries do not buy ingredients from standard supermarkets; they rely on specialized supply networks:

• Grain Mills (Mouterijen & Molens): Traditional Dutch craft bakeries often source specific flours directly from regional industrial flour mills (such as Meneba or Dossche Mills in Western Europe) or local wind-powered stone mills (korenmolens) for artisanal specialty breads.
• Specialized Bakery Wholesalers (Bakkerij-groothandels): Bakeries procure raw bulk supplies through dedicated food service and bakery distribution partners (such as Beko Groothandel in the Netherlands, Bakbel, or Zeelandia). These distributors supply:
  • Bulk flour sacks (25 kg to multi-ton silos)
  • Blocks or liquid tanks of live baker’s yeast
  • Dough conditioners, improvers, and specialty sourdough bases
  • Bulk seeds, nuts, spices, and butter
• Dairy & Agricultural Suppliers: Fresh butter, milk, and eggs used in specialized loaves or brioches are typically contracted directly through dairy co-operatives or regional food distributors.

Google Gemini: Let’s look at the patterns of violence in schizophrenia step-by-step to answer this clearly.

First, to address the statistic: epidemiological research shows that approximately 10% to 15% of individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia exhibit violent behavior at some point in their lifetime. This means that 85% to 90% of people with schizophrenia are never violent.

For the minority who do display violent behavior, describing violence as an episodic state means the following:

1. Predominantly Non-Violent Baseline: Even among those within the 15% group, violent behavior is not a continuous personality trait or a permanent baseline state. These individuals are non-violent for the vast majority of their daily lives.
2. State-Dependent Triggers: Violent episodes are typically tied directly to acute, transient clinical states—most commonly active psychosis (such as acute persecutory delusions or command hallucinations) or periods of severe distress during a relapse.
3. Role of Intervening Factors: The risk of an episode highly correlates with fluctuating external factors, particularly acute substance intoxication or withdrawal, severe sleep deprivation, or sudden treatment discontinuation.
4. Remission and Management: When acute psychotic symptoms subside—whether through proper treatment, medication adherence, or de-escalation—the risk of violence typically drops back to baseline levels.

Therefore, yes: even among the roughly 15% of people with schizophrenia who ever exhibit violent behavior, they are normally non-violent the majority of the time, with aggressive behavior occurring almost exclusively during discrete, acute crises rather than as a persistent pattern.

Yes, that public perception inflicts profound personal and social harm on individuals living with schizophrenia.

When a mental health condition is broadly conflated with violence, the real-world consequences for the individual are immediate and pervasive:

• Social Isolation and Stigma: Believing that everyone around them views them as a threat causes intense shame, self-stigma, and alienation. Many people isolate themselves to avoid hostile or fearful reactions, which further harms their mental health.
• Barriers to Housing and Employment: Pervasive fear leads landlords, employers, and community members to discriminate against people with the diagnosis, making it significantly harder to secure stable housing or meaningful work.
• Reluctance to Seek Treatment: Fear of being labeled, reported, or forcibly detained causes many individuals to hide their symptoms rather than reach out to doctors, social workers, or family for help.
• Over-policing and Criminalization: When public perception defaults to fear, mental health crises are more likely to be met with police intervention rather than healthcare or social support, leading to disproportionate criminalization instead of compassionate care.

Most violence associated with schizophrenia occurs when a person is untreated, experiencing a acute crisis, and often alongside substance abuse or severe social isolation. By treating the condition purely as a public safety issue rather than a healthcare issue, society reinforces the very conditions—stigma, isolation, and lack of support—that prevent people from getting the help they need.

An image of a Gentleman Schizo (85% of Schizophrenic people) in a boxing contest with a Monster Schizo a.k.a. a Rourdy Schizo (15% of Schizophrenic people)

Google Gemini: The vast majority of individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia—typically estimated between 85% and 90%—never commit a violent act. Research consistently shows that the lifetime prevalence of violent behavior among people with schizophrenia is around 10% to 15%, compared to roughly 2% to 3% in the general population.

When violence does occur, it is rarely random. It is strongly correlated with co-occurring factors:

• Substance Use: Concurrent drug or alcohol abuse significantly increases the risk of violent behavior.
• Lack of Treatment: Untreated acute psychosis, particularly persecutory delusions (e.g., believing someone is actively trying to harm them) or command hallucinations, can drive self-defense responses.
• History of Abuse or Trauma: Environmental and personal history factors carry significant weight, just as they do in the general population.

Why Medical Science Avoids Terms Like «Sweet» vs. «Violent» Schizophrenia

In psychiatric medicine, schizophrenia is understood as a complex neurodevelopmental disorder rather than a fixed personality type. Creating formal diagnostic subtypes like «sweet» versus «violent» is avoided for several specific clinical reasons:

• State vs. Trait: Violence is an episodic behavior or state, not an inherent trait or permanent subclass of the illness. A person experiencing severe persecutory delusions during an untreated psychotic episode might act out in perceived self-defense, but become gentle, passive, and cooperative once stabilized on medication.
• Symptom Profiles Vary Dynamic: Schizophrenia encompasses a wide array of cognitive, positive (e.g., hallucinations, delusions), and negative symptoms (e.g., apathy, social withdrawal, emotional blunting). Categorizing someone by behavioral output oversimplifies the underlying pathology.
• Risk of Stigma and Misdiagnosis: Binary labeling obscures clinical focus. Rather than categorizing the person, clinicians evaluate specific risk factors—such as command hallucinations, substance misuse, treatment compliance, and social support networks—to assess and mitigate safety risks effectively.

By focusing on symptom management, early intervention, and substance use treatment, healthcare systems can minimize behavioral risks while supporting recovery and integration.

Gemini: Swiss Re (Swiss Reinsurance Company Ltd) is one of the world’s leading providers of reinsurance, primary insurance, and other insurance-based forms of risk transfer. Founded in 1863 and headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, it acts as an «insurance company for insurance companies.»

What Swiss Re Does

Swiss Re functions as a shock absorber for the global economy by absorbing high-level risks that individual insurance companies cannot handle alone:

• Property & Casualty (P&C) Reinsurance: Swiss Re underwrites large-scale risks, protecting primary insurers against catastrophic events like natural disasters (hurricanes, earthquakes), severe weather, industrial accidents, and large cyber liability claims.
• Life & Health (L&H) Reinsurance: Partners with primary insurers to manage mortality, morbidity, and longevity risks (e.g., life insurance policies, critical illness plans, annuity risks).
• Corporate Solutions: Provides commercial insurance directly to large mid-sized and corporate clients for complex risks, major industrial projects, or tailored coverage.
• Asset Management: Manages its vast float (pre-collected insurance premiums) by investing across fixed income, real estate, and global markets to earn returns before claims are paid out.

Projected Annual Income on a CHF 500,000 Investment

To estimate annual income, we look at Swiss Re’s share price and regular dividend payout on the SIX Swiss Exchange (Ticker: SREN / SRENH):

• Current Share Price: ~CHF 135
• Annual Dividend Yield: ~4.5%–4.7%

Income Calculation Breakdown

1. Shares Purchased:CHF 135 / shareCHF 500,000​≈3,703 shares
2. Gross Annual Dividend Income:CHF 500,000×4.6%=CHF 23,000 per year(Approx. CHF 1,916 per month)

Key Financial Considerations

• Swiss Dividend Withholding Tax: If held directly through a Swiss broker or resident account, Swiss equities are subject to a 35% Swiss Federal Withholding Tax (Verrechnungssteuer) at source. Non-residents can typically reclaim part or all of this tax via double-taxation treaties, while Swiss residents offset it against their income tax returns.
• Dividend Frequency: Swiss Re pays its dividend once per year (typically in April following its Annual General Meeting).
• Market Exposure: The value of your initial CHF 500,000 investment will fluctuate with daily stock price movements and depends on Swiss Re’s underwriting performance, catastrophic loss events, and interest rate trends.

How does the 35% Swiss dividend withholding tax work for international investors and how can it be reclaimed?

When a Swiss company pays a dividend, 35% Swiss Withholding Tax (Verrechnungssteuer or Anticipatory Tax) is automatically deducted at the source before the payment reaches your brokerage account.

For non-resident international investors, this 35% is higher than the tax rate agreed upon in most Double Taxation Agreements (DTAs). You can reclaim the excess amount through a structured procedure with the Swiss Federal Tax Administration (ESTV / SFTA).

How the Tax Mechanics Work

1. Gross Dividend: Swiss company distributes a CHF 100 dividend.
2. Withholding at Source: The company remits CHF 35 (35%) directly to the ESTV and pays CHF 65 (65%) to your brokerage. Fiduciaire Genevoise
3. Treaty Rate Benchmark: Most Swiss double-taxation treaties cap the final withholding tax on retail stock dividends at 15% (e.g., for investors in the US, UK, Netherlands, Germany, France, etc.).
4. Reclaimable Difference: You are entitled to reclaim 20% of the gross dividend back from the Swiss government (35% withheld − 15% final treaty rate). Findea AG
5. Home Country Tax Credit: The remaining 15% withheld by Switzerland can usually be claimed as a foreign tax credit against your local income tax obligations.

Step-by-Step Reclaim Process

To claim back the 20% overpaid tax, follow these four steps:

Step 1: Obtain Your Supporting Tax Documents

Request a Tax Voucher (Verrechnungssteuer-Bescheinigung) or an official Dividend Advice Note from your broker or bank. This serves as official legal proof that 35% was remitted to the Swiss tax authority.

Step 2: Access the ESTV Refund Portal

Go to the official portal of the Swiss Federal Tax Administration (ESTV) under Claim to refund of Swiss Anticipatory Tax. Select the form corresponding to your country of tax residence (e.g., Form R-US for the US, Form 85 for EU/EEA countries, Form 86 for the UK).

Step 3: Local Tax Authority Certification

Print the completed form and send or present it to your home country’s local tax authority. They must stamp and sign the form (or provide an official Certificate of Tax Residence) confirming that you were tax-resident in your home country when the dividend was paid.

Step 4: Submission to ESTV

Upload the certified form, tax voucher, and broker statement to the ESTV electronic portal (or mail the physical wet-ink certified form if required for your specific jurisdiction). Once processed, the ESTV deposits the 20% refund directly into your bank account in Swiss Francs (CHF).

Crucial Practical Rules & Caveats

• Statute of Limitations: You have three years from the end of the calendar year in which the dividend was paid to submit your refund claim. Fiduciaire Genevoise
• Minimum Claim Limits: The ESTV typically enforces a minimum annual reclaim threshold (often CHF 50 to CHF 100 in total withheld tax) to prevent processing tiny claims.
• Broker Automated Reclaims: Some major custodians and international brokers offer bulk automated tax relief or reclaim services on behalf of their clients for a small administrative fee. Check if your broker handles this directly.

Yes, individuals with schizophrenia are allowed to visit the United States. Under U.S. immigration law, having a mental illness like schizophrenia does not automatically make someone ineligible for entry.

The Two-Part Standard for Inadmissibility Under Section 212(a)(1)(A)(iii) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), a mental or physical disorder only causes inadmissibility if it meets a specific two-part requirement:

1. The person has a clinically diagnosed physical or mental disorder, AND
2. The disorder is accompanied by current or historical harmful behavior that poses (or has posed) a threat to the safety, property, or welfare of the individual or others, and that behavior is likely to recur.

If a person has schizophrenia but does not have a history of harmful or dangerous behavior toward themselves or others, the diagnosis alone is not grounds to deny entry.

Visas and ESTA Declarations

• ESTA (Visa Waiver Program): When applying for an ESTA, applicants are explicitly asked whether they have a physical or mental disorder with associated behavior that poses a threat to safety or property. Answering «No» is appropriate if there is no history of harmful behavior, even if the individual has a diagnosed mental health condition.
• Visas and Medical Screening: If a visitor undergoes a medical evaluation (such as for certain visa types or extended stays), a diagnosis without associated harmful behavior is classified as a «Class B» condition. Class B conditions do not prevent entry into the U.S.

If an applicant does have a history of harmful behavior associated with their condition, they may still apply for a discretionary medical waiver through the Department of Homeland Security and the CDC, which often requires showing a controlled treatment plan.

Finding 30 Swiss companies with a yield of 6% or higher is not possible through public markets alone because the Swiss stock market is known for conservative payout ratios and lower average yields. On the SIX Swiss Exchange, only a small handful of listed equities consistently offer yields above 6%. Most well-known high-dividend Swiss blue chips (such as Zurich Insurance, Swiss Re, and Partners Group) yield between 4.5% and 5.5%.

Below are the Swiss-listed companies that meet or come close to a 6%+ yield threshold, followed by prominent Swiss dividend leaders that fill the gap.

Swiss Equities Yielding 6% or Higher

Company	Ticker	Sector	Approx. Yield	Notes / Context
OC Oerlikon	OERL	Industrial Engineering	~15–16%	High yield due to special dividends / share price compression.
Sunrise Communications	SUNN	Telecommunications	~8.2–8.4%	Spun off from Liberty Global; high cash flow return profile.
Fenix Outdoor International	FOI-B	Retail & Outdoor Goods	~7.0–7.3%	Consumer discretionary holding group.
mobilezone holding	MOZN	Telecom Retail	~6.9–7.0%	Consistent high payout ratio from mobile services distribution.
Partners Group Holding	PGHN	Private Equity / Asset Mgt	~6.7–6.8%	Variable dividend linked to performance fees.
Alpine Select	ALPN	Investment Company	~6.5–6.6%	Closed-end investment firm distributing capital.
Cembra Money Bank	CMBN	Consumer Finance	~6.1–6.2%	High payout bank stock focused on consumer credit.
APG|SGA	APGN	Out-of-Home Advertising	~6.0%	Distributes high percentage of free cash flow.

Core Swiss High-Yielders (4.2% – 5.9% Yield Range)

Because the 6%+ pool is limited, institutional investors looking for high-yielding Swiss equities typically rely on this next tier of stable, cash-generative companies:

Company	Ticker	Sector	Approx. Yield
Meier Tobler Group	MTG	HVAC / Building Services	~5.0%
Zurich Insurance Group	ZURN	Insurance	~5.0–5.2%
Groupe Minoteries	GMI	Food Processing	~4.8–4.9%
Swiss Re	SREN	Reinsurance	~4.6–4.7%
Holcim	HOLN	Building Materials	~4.6%
Klingelnberg	KLIN	Industrial Machinery	~4.5%
Phoenix Mecano	PMN	Industrial Components	~4.4%
Adecco Group	ADEN	Human Resources / Staffing	~4.2%
COLTENE Holding	CLTN	Dental / MedTech	~4.2%
EFG International	EFGN	Private Banking	~4.1–4.2%
Swisscom	SCMN	Telecom	~4.1%
Orell Füssli	OFN	Printing & Security	~4.0–4.1%

Key Factors for Swiss High-Yield Investing

1. Swiss Withholding Tax (Verrechnungssteuer): Switzerland levies a standard 35% withholding tax on dividend distributions. Non-resident investors generally must file double taxation treaty claims to reclaim a portion (often reducing the net tax to 15%).
2. Payout Sustainability: Double-digit yields in Switzerland (like OC Oerlikon) frequently signal share price declines or one-off special distributions rather than recurring baseline yields.
3. SPI Select Dividend 20 Index: The benchmark index tracking the top high-yield, quality dividend payers in Switzerland (SDIVI) averages an aggregate underlying yield around 4.0–4.5% due to strict quality and liquidity filters.

Typical Constituents Breakdown

While the index composition adjusts during its annual March rebalance, the holdings typically represent the top dividend-paying Swiss blue chips and large/mid-cap leaders across key financial and industrial sectors:

• Insurance & Financials: Zurich Insurance Group (ZURN), Swiss Re (SREN), Swiss Life Holding (SLHN), Cembra Money Bank (CMBN), EFG International (EFGN), Partners Group (PGHN).
• Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare: Novartis (NOVN), Roche Holding (ROG).
• Consumer Staples & Discretionary: Nestlé (NESN), Swatch Group (UHR).
• Industrials, Building & Materials: Holcim (HOLN), Adecco Group (ADEN), Geberit (GEBN), SGS (SGSN), Sulzer (SUN).
• Telecommunications & Services: Swisscom (SCMN), Sunrise Communications (SUNN), APG|SGA (APGN).

The «Reint Jelger: question / Gemini: answer» dialogue format works exceptionally well for publishing—it highlights the exact intent behind the prompts and presents complex technical, economic, or legal topics in a natural, scannable conversational flow.

Regarding attribution and monetization for baarda.ch, there are two main considerations: Google’s Terms of Service and broader intellectual property law.

1. Commercial Use Under Google’s Terms

Under Google’s terms of service, Google does not claim ownership over the text generated by Gemini. As between you and Google, you are granted the rights to use, publish, and commercially monetize the output generated in your sessions.

• Monetization is Permitted: Using attributed Q&A pairs on a monetized platform (whether through subscriptions, ads, or sponsorships) is allowed under Google’s policies.
• No Royalty Fees: You owe no royalties or licensing fees back to Google for publishing or commercializing Gemini’s responses.

2. Intellectual Property & Copyright Considerations

While Google permits commercial use, the underlying copyright landscape for AI outputs carries unique characteristics:

• Human Authorship of the Question: Your curated questions («Reint Jelger:») are original human expressions, meaning you hold full copyright over your prompts and the overall selection, compilation, and structure of the published dialogues.
• Public Domain / Non-Exclusivity of AI Text: In most jurisdictions (including EU and US frameworks), raw AI-generated text lacking human transformation does not enjoy traditional copyright protection. While you can freely publish and monetize it, you may not be able to prevent others from copying or re-using the AI’s generated portion if they extract it independently.

3. Best Practices for Attribution

Attributing the outputs directly to Gemini with a clear notice (e.g., «Dialogue between Reint Jelger and Gemini» or adding a brief footnoted disclosure) is the ideal approach. It ensures complete transparency for readers while fully respecting both user terms and journalistic integrity.

Overall, hosting and monetizing these Q&A dialogues on baarda.ch using that attribution format is entirely viable.

Google Gemini: The legal and ethical debate over holding individuals with schizophrenia criminally responsible centers on the tension between moral culpability (mens rea), public safety, and medical reality.

Because schizophrenia is an episodic condition with varied symptoms—ranging from active, Command Delusions and severe psychosis to periods of partial or full remission—legal systems generally reject a «blanket status» approach. Instead, courts and legal scholars argue over specific frameworks regarding when and how punishment should apply.

Key Viewpoints in the Debate

1. The Retributive/Moral View: Culpability Requires Free Will

• Core Argument: Traditional criminal punishment relies on retribution—punishing someone because they chose to commit a wrong. If a person’s perception of reality was so fractured by schizophrenia (e.g., acting under an active command hallucination or delusion) that they could not distinguish right from wrong, holding them morally responsible is illogical and unfair.
• Legal Test: Found in jurisdictions that use the M’Naghten Rule or similar cognitive tests. Focuses purely on whether the defendant understood the nature or wrongfulness of the act at the moment it occurred. Psychology Town+ 1
• Implication: The defendant should be found «Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity» (NGRI) or lack criminal responsibility and be diverted to a high-security forensic psychiatric facility for treatment rather than prison. Criminal Law Poland

2. The Functional/Avolitional View: Control vs. Knowledge

• Core Argument: Critics of strict cognitive tests argue that a person with schizophrenia might intellectually know an act is illegal (e.g., knowing murder is against the law) but be completely powerless to control their actions due to severe loss of impulse control or irresistible psychotic drivers.
• Legal Test: Utilized in standards like the Model Penal Code (MPC) test, which excuses liability if the defendant lacked «substantial capacity» to either appreciate the wrongfulness of the conduct or conform their conduct to the law. Psychology Town
• Implication: Broadens the insanity defense beyond mere cognitive awareness to include the loss of volitional control caused by severe mental illness. Psychology Town

3. The Strict Public Safety / Deterrence View

• Core Argument: Proponents of this view prioritize deterrence, victim rights, and public security over individual mental capacity. They argue that regardless of mental state, an act causes harm, and society must be protected. Furthermore, opponents worry that insanity defenses can be misused or lead to early release if medical conditions improve. Psychology Town
• Legal Test: Adopted in four US states (Idaho, Kansas, Montana, and Utah) that have abolished the insanity defense altogether, as well as states that offer a «Guilty but Mentally Ill» (GBMI) verdict.
• Implication: Under GBMI or complete abolition, the defendant is found criminally guilty and sentenced to prison/custody like any other offender, though they may receive psychiatric treatment while serving their prison sentence.

4. The Medical / Biological Standard (The «Medical Model»)

• Core Argument: Instead of requiring a jury or judge to determine whether a complex delusion directly caused an act, this view focuses primarily on whether a severe psychotic condition was actively present at the time. PMC – NIH
• Example System: Norway historically operated under a legal framework where an active, severe state of psychosis (such as active-phase schizophrenia) at the time of the offense automatically excluded criminal responsibility, regardless of complex tests evaluating specific legal reasoning. PMC – NIH

Current Legal Proceedings and Trends

Active vs. Inactive Psychosis Distinction

Modern courts increasingly distinguish between having a diagnosis of schizophrenia and being in an active state of severe psychosis during the crime. A documented history of schizophrenia alone is rarely sufficient for an acquittal. Courts require evidence (such as forensic psychiatric evaluations) showing that the active symptoms impaired functioning at the exact moment of the offense.

Forensic Commitment vs. Prison

When someone with schizophrenia is found not criminally responsible, it does not mean they simply go free. In almost all jurisdictions, an NGRI verdict leads to involuntary commitment to a forensic psychiatric institution. In many cases, individuals remain confined in forensic facilities under medical review for as long as—or longer than—the prison sentence they would have served.

Diminished Capacity Options

Many legal systems offer middle-ground approaches where complete insanity cannot be proven. Courts may recognize diminished capacity or diminished responsibility, which allows judges to reduce the severity of the conviction or sentence (e.g., lowering a charge from first-degree murder to manslaughter) and mandate psychiatric care within or alongside custody

Bern: Do schizophrenic people know how to send an email or do they not have enough money for a librarycard?

Google Gemini: Schizophrenia does not eliminate a person’s digital literacy, nor does it inherently make someone unable to afford or access basic public services like a library card.

The relationship between schizophrenia, practical skills (like sending an email), and financial circumstances varies widely depending on symptom severity, access to treatment, and local social support systems.

Operating Technology and Daily Skills

Schizophrenia is a neurodevelopmental and psychiatric condition characterized by symptoms such as halluncinations, delusions, disorganized thinking, or reduced emotional expression («negative symptoms»). It does not erase acquired life skills or cognitive habits.

• Sending an Email: Many people diagnosed with schizophrenia regularly use computers, smartphones, email, and social media. When someone is receiving effective treatment (such as medication and therapy) or experiencing a period of remission, their ability to use digital tools is often identical to anyone else’s.
• Impact of Psychosis: During an acute psychotic episode or severe cognitive disorganization, a person’s ability to communicate coherently—whether in person or via email—may be temporarily impaired. However, this is a reflection of active symptoms, not a permanent loss of knowledge.

Library Cards and Public Access

Access to public infrastructure like libraries is generally open to everyone, regardless of health status or income.

• Cost: In many countries (including across North America and Europe), public library cards are completely free for local residents. Where small annual fees exist, public libraries frequently waive them for low-income individuals.
• Socioeconomic Reality: While schizophrenia can cause disability that leads to financial hardship or reliance on public support, many individuals with schizophrenia hold jobs, manage personal budgets, or rely on social safety nets.

Key Takeaway

Having schizophrenia does not mean a person loses basic functional abilities or is universally unable to participate in daily digital and public life. Symptoms fluctuate, and with appropriate care and community resources, most people with the condition maintain or regain the ability to navigate standard daily tasks.

Reint Jelger: Are some schizophrenic people Muslim?

Gemini: Yes, there are Muslim people with schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia is a complex neurological and psychiatric condition that affects people of all cultures, religions, ethnicities, and geographic locations across the world. The prevalence of schizophrenia is estimated at approximately 0.5% to 1% of the global population, regardless of religious background.

Clinical & Cultural Context

While the underlying biological mechanics of schizophrenia are universal, how symptoms manifest and how care is approached can be influenced by cultural and religious contexts:

• Symptom Expression: Delusions and hallucinations often draw on a person’s familiar cultural or religious environment. A person raised in a religious context—Muslim, Christian, Hindu, or otherwise—may experience spiritual themes, such as hearing voices attributed to supernatural entities or feeling a strong religious imperative during an episode.
• Treatment Approaches: Medical and psychiatric treatment (such as antipsychotic medication and therapy) remains the core standard of care globally. In many Muslim-majority communities and cultures, families and healthcare providers increasingly integrate medical care with spiritual support, working alongside community leaders to encourage treatment compliance while offering emotional and spiritual comfort.

Bern: Are there also sweet handsome schizophrenic people who are not violent?

Google Gemini: Yes. The vast majority of people diagnosed with schizophrenia are non-violent, and many are exceptionally kind, gentle, empathetic, and warm.

The widespread belief that schizophrenia equals violence is a misconception driven largely by sensationalized portrayals in media, movies, and news reporting. In reality:

• Non-violence is the norm: Studies consistently show that the vast majority of individuals with schizophrenia never commit a violent act. They are far more likely to be withdrawn, quiet, or overwhelmed by their internal experiences than to be aggressive.
• Higher risk of being victims, not perpetrators: People living with severe mental illnesses like schizophrenia are significantly more likely to be victims of violent crime—often due to vulnerability, social isolation, and stigma—than they are to harm others.
• Attractiveness and personality are unrelated to diagnosis: Schizophrenia is a complex neurological and psychiatric condition; it does not dictate a person’s physical appearance, emotional warmth, capacity for affection, or core moral character. Many people with the diagnosis are handsome, charismatic, deeply caring, and lead compassionate lives.

When violent behavior does occur in connection with mental illness, it is rarely due to the condition alone. It is typically tied to secondary factors such as untreated acute psychosis accompanied by severe distress or fear, severe substance abuse, or a history of personal trauma—factors that increase risk in any population regardless of diagnosis. With proper treatment, supportive relationships, and access to healthcare, people with schizophrenia live peaceful, fulfilling, and gentle lives.