If people refuse help – or medication – they should be held responsible for their crimes

Letters to the editor: our readers share their views. Please send your letters to letters@independent.co.uk

‘Too many cases have seen individuals plead mental health problems and obtain more lenient sentencing’ (PA)

In my opinion, when a patient stops taking prescribed medication, that act should preclude them from claiming diminished responsibility.

While this can’t overshadow gross, systematic failures within our NHS, too many cases have seen individuals plead mental health problems and obtain more lenient sentencing. We need to make sure individuals take responsibility for their crimes if they refused help or medication beforehand.

Figures have shown that, on average, the cost to investigate and prosecute for murder has risen. The cutbacks in mental health funding may have saved money as far as different chancellors were concerned, but they have brought about a far greater cost in the long term.

As long as events elsewhere don’t get in the way, the country should have some form of stability. That starts with our NHS and addressing issues with mental health services.

David Barker

Littlehampton

Musk must step back from X

Millie Cooke writes that Labour MPs and other users are “stepping back” or quitting Elon Musk’s X social media site, out of concern for the direction he is taking the company – including turning it into a “megaphone for far-right fringe groups”.

The changes made by Musk risk destroying a once successful platform. Many will start to see X as an indication of negation in our digital age, for example, “no, this has not been verified”; or, “no, that is not correct”.

It’s Musk that must take a step back if he wants to save his reputation and that of his platform.

Roger Hinds

Surrey

Lessons from Liz?

So, the lady who was prime minister for a matter of days – and did as much political damage to the Tories as she did to people’s pensions – is at it again.

This time, she is defending free speech – such as the dog whistling we have seen from her fellow Tories since Brexit (and her new friend, Elon Musk).

It was thanks to X giving a platform to people like Tommy Robinson that the riots swept across the country and in many cases, escalated to violence.

I take no lessons from people like Liz Truss, but instead take a deep breath and think of the damage done to our international reputation – and at the same hope for better ways to fix it.

Geoffrey Brooking

Havant

Another Tory opportunist

He may have been trying to sound important and visionary, but Tom Tugendhat just proved what we all thought: he’s yet another Tory opportunist.

He has gone against the voice of the nation; against the joint will of the people in marching for peace – and instead has used the recent riots as a chance to land blows against Labour and police forces. He sought to have an easy pop, when in reality all he has done is demean himself.

He should be ashamed of himself! The public aren’t likely to forgive him for playing politics simply to seek his own betterment.

Dale Hughes

Address supplied

Vaccination nation

Vaccines are stunning scientific endeavours. They represent our most potent source of hope to eradicate once life-threatening illnesses and protect vulnerable populations.

Non-vaccination, however, causes a chaotic economy, social disruption and human anguish. It leaves the poorest and most vulnerable groups, like children, at risk of chronic illness.

Taking vaccines is not only a moral imperative, but a strategic choice too.

Dr Munjed Farid Al Qutob

London