WASHINGTON – A psychiatrist on Wednesday criticized John Hinckley’s therapist for concluding that the presidential assailant’s recent approaches to women constitute normal behavior.
Testifying on behalf of the federal government, Dr. Robert Phillips said Hinckley’s relationships with women have been an issue since he shot President Reagan and three other people in 1981.
“His approach, potential infatuation and stalking-like behavior are historical problems,” Phillips said, adding that to see no connection between Hinckley’s latest approaches to women and his previous activities “is absurd.”
A federal judge is considering Hinckley’s request for half a dozen visits of several days each to his parents’ gated community in Williamsburg, Va., a three-hour drive from the hospital where Hinckley has been held for more than two decades.
Phillips said St. Elizabeths Hospital has failed to spell out details such as precisely what Hinckley would do during such visits and how far from his parents’ home he would be allowed to walk unescorted. Phillips also said it is vital for Hinckley to meet with a psychologist during each trip.
When he shot Reagan, Hinckley was suffering from major depression and a psychotic disorder that led to an obsession with actress Jodie Foster. Hinckley, found not guilty by reason of insanity in 1982, said he shot Reagan to impress Foster.
Doctors say Hinckley’s depression and psychosis are in full remission. Phillips agreed with that but said mental illness is chronic and Hinckley is not cured.
Hinckley’s therapist, Dr. Sidney Binks, testified Tuesday that he was not concerned about Hinckley’s recent approaches to women, including a chaplain and an intern on the hospital staff.
Phillips, however, said Hinckley’s interaction with staff is a source of great clinical concern.
Hinckley said he had sought a meeting with the chaplain because she was a pretty lady and he walked the intern to her car and offered to play the guitar for her. Hinckley and the intern shared an interest in animals.
Hinckley “was impressed if not enthralled” with the hospital intern, testified Dr. Raymond Patterson, a psychiatrist testifying on behalf of the government. Patterson said that in 1995, another hospital staffer filed an incident report about Hinckley “to keep him away from her.”
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