FEBRUARY 17, 2021
Over the weekend, in Washington County, Utah, Gabriel Newland Dutson was arrested on multiple charges that include rape and assault. His victim survived the attack and Dutson is currently behind bars.
There’s no need to go into the details of the attack other than to say it’s all disturbing.
What’s also troubling, though, is how Dutson explained his actions to the cops:
During an interview, officers reported Duston appeared to be “suffering from a mental disorder.” He reportedly said that “God told him to do the above actions and was frustrated because he failed.”
“Gabriel Dutson also stated that he knew of a way to solve the issue and that he needed to ‘shoot’ the victim with an arrow,” the affidavit states.
Assume this really is the result of a mental disorder, at what point do people who claim to talk to God admit this guy’s recollections ought to be dismissed? What makes his delusions delusions but their delusions legitimate? And why do these excuses from alleged criminals always sound so similar?
God never tells these people to go volunteer at a homeless shelter. It’s always about committing an act of violence. Unless we make it clear that taking those voices seriously is a problem no matter who you are, it becomes a lot more difficult for these people to get the mental help they need.
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