[Death caused by serious physical injury--epileptic cognitive disturbance, drunkenness and organic psychosyndrome. Forensic neuropsychiatric case].

The question of awareness, the capacity to judge the consequences of ones certain act or behaviour is a hard and typical problem in forensic medicine and neuro-psychiatry. Analysing such questions is indispensable during criminal actions where the responsibility and culpability of the offender is to be considered. The examination of the offender's mental state may help to recognise undiagnosed neuro-psychiatric conditions. The case of a man, suspected to have violently murdered his spouse is reported. During his criminal act he was probably in a pathological mental state caused by alcoholic drunkenness and decreased emotional control; besides he may have ictal or interictal disturbance of consciousness. The alcoholic state does not limit culpability, while epileptic disturbance of consciousness may exempt the offender.