Manila, Feb. 27 -- The Supreme Court (SC) has ruled that a person does not need a documented history of mental illness to claim legal insanity as a defense.

In a decision promulgated on Oct. 9, 2024, the SC's Third Division acquitted an accused due to insanity and ordered her confinement at the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) for treatment.

Court records showed that the accused was charged with homicide after her father found her naked, covered in blood, and chanting religious phrases over her best friend's corpse.

She claimed she attacked her best friend after she saw her grow horns and transform into a demon.

She also reported hearing the Virgin Mary's voice instructing her to place a cross into the victim's heart, among ot...