Analysis Of WhatsApp Conversations To Prove Cases Of Rape

The widespread use of new technologies in all strata of our society allows psychology professionals to have new strategies to analyze relevant information in the processes of psychological expertise.

And although part of the psychological processes are in practice subjective, in situations in which there are forensic implications, these phenomena are externalized in a wide variety of objective elements, such as the conversations that take place on chat platforms.

That’s why, WhatsApp conversation analysis is among the functions that forensic psychologists perform regularly In this case, we will focus on seeing how the analysis of message exchanges on WhatsApp is carried out when proving cases of violation.

What is conversation analysis in the context of forensic psychology?

Forensic psychology serves to, among other things, provide information related to relevant psychological phenomena to take into account when resolving judicial processes. For this reason, psychologists trained in this area are hired to apply their knowledge and technical skills when analyzing cases and adding relevant information that helps clarify what happened in the events that have given rise to a trial. It should be noted that forensic psychologists do not work as part of the defense or prosecution; although they are usually contracts by one of the parties, They adopt a position of neutrality and their main task is to analyze and extract objectively valuable information (although in practice this may benefit one of the parties). This information can be used both to understand what has happened and to qualify or question what was indicated in previous reports.

In this sense, conversation analysis is not a way to self-interestedly presuppose the intentions and beliefs held by the people involved in a communicative exchange that has occurred; rather, it allows us to emphasize indications and evidence that can help clarify a case that is being investigated in the judicial context, so that judges, lawyers and prosecutors have all the information possible. In this way, this type of analysis serves, among other things:

What is the expert psychological report?

The expert psychological report is the essential report prepared by forensic psychologists to provide the judge with objective elements necessary in any judicial process in which it must be decided whether or not a specific crime has been committed

This is a scientific and objective report prepared by expert psychology professionals through the application of strategies based on the scientific method.

The primary objective of this type of report is to help understand what happened in relation to relevant aspects such as the mental health of the people involved, the possible psychological consequences caused by an illegality, the parental powers of two people in divorce and conflict processes. for child custody, etc. Conversation analysis is one of the expert resources used in the preparation of the expert psychological report.

How does WhatsApp conversation analysis work to prove rape cases?

WhatsApp is the most used instant messaging application in the world, with more than 2 billion users around the planet, and it is also the tool used by millions of people around the world to communicate quickly and effectively

By analyzing the conversations carried out via WhatsApp, we can help prove serious crimes committed against people’s sexual freedom, such as rape, one of the crimes that most affect the victim, both physically and psychologically. The conversations often reflect “traces” of what happened or what is about to happen, so that thanks to the information they provide it is easier to clarify questions about whether episodes of violence have occurred or not.

Psychologists often analyze these types of conversations to find evidence of what may constitute a crime or to prove the existence of psychological traces, although it is worth clarifying that to prove any crime during a judicial process an expert psychological analysis is not always necessary. (depends on the circumstances and the degree of material evidence available).

Thus, people who have been victims of rape and have WhatsApp conversations that prove said crime can use that content, if both psychologists and lawyers consider it so, in a judicial process; In this case, the information stored on the electronic devices can be accessed to demonstrate that these message exchanges have not been manipulated and that they are part of a history of interaction between the accused and the victim.

When the content posted on the chat platform consists of conversations between the victim and the aggressor about what happened, this provides a large amount of information about the criminal event that has allegedly been committed, and although technically it is not material evidence that reliably demonstrates what has happened (if there are no videos or photographs), allows, for example, to show inconsistencies or directly apparent falsehoods in the defense’s speech.

That is, the information extracted through psychological expertise helps strengthen and weaken defense and prosecution arguments depending on whether they correspond more or less to what is reflected in the expert reports. Therefore, this report should not be seen in itself as “evidence” but as a contextual element that allows for a more global vision of what happened and stabilizes or destabilizes lines of accusation and defense, on which Ockham’s razor is applied. : Why would the accused party behave as if he had not committed a crime that he has not committed?

Are you looking for forensic psychology services?

In Azor&Asociados We have many years of experience dedicating ourselves to both psychotherapy and expert psychology, and WhatsApp conversation analysis is one of our most used tools in judicial processes. We can attend to your case in person or online.