Expert psychology in the forensic clinic

Forensic psychology has scope in different scenarios of the judicial world, and the forensic medical clinic is one of the most important.

Through these lines we will try to clarify the main questions surrounding this branch of psychology. We will review the different types of actions that may be required of the psychologist expert in this field and the characteristics that your forensic report will have.

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What is expert psychology in the medical forensic clinic?

In order to know what the task of expert psychology in the medical forensic clinic consists of, we must first understand what this body is for. The forensic medical clinic is a public center in which expert reports are made to assess possible physical or physical damage. psychological (which are those that concern us), that a person may have suffered due to a situation that is going to be framed within a process judicial.

Therefore, in the specific case of expert psychology in the medical forensic clinic, we are referring to

the work of an expert psychologist within this institution, generally conducting forensic reports in which the hypothetical psychological sequelae are evaluated that an individual may have experienced after an alleged assault or situation that can be of a very diverse nature.

But that is not the only task that a forensic psychologist working in this context may have. As we will see later, you can also receive requests from the judge aimed at assessing issues such as the possible imputability of a defendant, the presence of some psychopathology in someone who is immersed in a judicial process, etc. We will see it in detail in the next point.

Types of action of expert psychology in the medical-forensic clinic

Indeed, there are several missions that the professional working in the field of expert psychology in the medical forensic clinic can have. Although we have advanced some of them, we are now going to review them in depth.

1. Psychological sequelae

One of the main actions that the corresponding judge will request from the expert psychologist is to evaluate the consequences at a psychological level that an individual may have experienced. In this case, the task of the forensic medical clinic professional will be to carry out a psychological examination of the affected person in search of said sequelae.

It is important to be clear that the expert psychologist will always be extremely cautious in his conclusions, and in case of find a possible psychological damage, it will always refer to the possible compatibility of said consequences with the aggression suffered.

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2. Psychopathology

Another of the main issues that are studied within expert psychology in the medical forensic clinic is the presence of a possible psychopathology in an individual immersed in a judicial process. In this sense, the expert will conduct an interview and administer the tests that he deems appropriate to find a hypothetical mental illness that could be related to her actions.

Of course, The forensic reports made, as in the rest of the courts where this discipline operates, have an advisory nature for the judge, which is the one who always has the last word and therefore the final decision regarding the sentence that he will impose or not on the accused, according to his criteria.

3. Testimony credibility

One of the most complex tasks that are included among the functions of expert psychology in the medical forensic clinic is that of the evaluation of the credibility of the testimony, generally in the case of children who have been alleged victims or witnesses of a crime, such as abuse sexual.

Obviously this is one of the most delicate situations that a professional can face and his work, which must always be impeccable, in this case he cannot leave room for the slightest mistake.

There are interview tools and protocols for minors designed to reduce suggestibility as much as possible, such as SVA, GEA-5, Reality Monitoring or SALBut any wrong step can contaminate an answer and even invalidate the test.

One of the classic techniques is to first check the credibility of the minor's testimony in question regarding any other, neutral fact, such as what he did at his last birthday party. birthday. Of course, the age and stage of psycho-evolutionary development in which the child is found will be key for the evaluation and application of some tests or others.

These factors will determine both the understanding of the language and its use and richness, and therefore the An expert in expert psychology in the forensic clinic must take this into account before undertaking the examination. It is also essential that the expert assess the possibility of a confusion between reality and imagination, an invention carried out by some motivation, and even a hypothetical induction on the part of a third party.

After the exhaustive evaluation of the expert psychologist, he will conclude if the testimony is credible or incredible, supporting it adequately.

4. Imputability

Imputability is another of the central themes of expert psychology in the medical forensic clinic. At the legal level, a person is going to be imputable as long as his psychological conditions allow him to know reality and also be able to act based on that perception. Therefore, one of the tasks of the expert psychologist is to assess to what degree these parameters are met in the accused.

It is important to be clear that the mere fact that a person has a psychopathology does not automatically make him or her unimpeachable. For this to happen, the disease must have a direct relationship with the act that he has performed and for which he is being judged.

Some of the cases that could make a person unimpeachable are the following. In the first place, the absolute misunderstanding of the concept of illegality. This condition could occur in subjects who suffer a deficit in their cognitive abilities, for whatever reason. Likewise, a total intoxication due to the consumption of some substance can also affect the imputability of a person.

Another of the conditions that are studied in expert psychology in the medical-forensic clinic with the aim of helping to assess imputability, is the possible distortion of reality that the subject may have even from its very birth, due to some psychopathological condition. They would also be a reason to take into account the fact that he had acted in self-defense or defense of other people.

Finally, a question that becomes fundamental. The forensic psychologist will never conclude that a person is imputable or unimputable, as this is always a decision of the judge. Instead, what it will do is show the agreement or not of the subject's state at the time of the act of which he is accused with any of the assumptions of unimputability, always in terms of possibility.

5. Dangerousness

Finally, we find dangerousness as one of the issues to be studied within expert psychology in the medical forensic clinic. In this case, the judge will ask the expert psychologist to assess the dangerousness of a person who has allegedly committed a crime, in order, among other things, to be able to take precautionary measures that prevent the commission of other hypothetical criminal activities.

As in the previous questions, the forensic psychologist must explore the subject, using the interview and the tools necessary to provide the professional with the necessary data to be able to make a profile that fits or not with a possible conduct dangerous. All this information will be forwarded to the judge so that he can make the decisions he deems appropriate.

The levels of intervention of expert psychology in the medical-forensic clinic

Expert psychology in the forensic medical clinic, as in other legal settings, can materialize at three different levels, which would involve three phases of the psychologist expert's performance.

1. Clinical

The first level is the clinical. This is the first phase of intervention and includes everything related to the exploration of the case in question and conducting a forensic court interview, which should not be confused with a clinical interview, since the person is not of his own free will before the professional but is there due to a judicial process, which can alter the testimony. The professional should take this issue into account.

2. Forensic report

Once all the necessary information has been collected, The expert will be prepared to prepare the corresponding expert report of the case, in which the question raised by the judge will be answered, to which this document will be sent.

3. Ratification

The last level of expert psychology in the medical-forensic clinic is the ratification of the forensic report made in the room. The psychologist will present the content of the document to the court and answer the questions related to the report. made by the parties or by the judge.

Bibliographic references:

• Chacón, F., García, J.F., García, A., Gómez, R., Vázquez, B. (2009). Good practice guide for the preparation of expert psychological reports on custody and visitation of minors. Official College of Psychologists of Madrid.
• Godoy-Cervera, V., Higueras, L. (2005). Criteria-based content analysis (CBCA) in evaluating the credibility of testimony. Roles of the psychologist.
• Manzanero, A.L., Muñoz J.M. (2011). The psychological expert evidence on the credibility of the testimony: psycho-legal reflections. Madrid, Sepin.
• Vázquez, B. (2005). Forensic Psychology Manual. Synthesis.