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 issues 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 their forensic report will have.
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 medical-forensic clinic is a public center in which expert reports are prepared to assess possible physical or psychological damage (which is what concerns us) that a person may have suffered due to a situation that is going to be framed within a judicial process.
Therefore, in the specific case of expert psychology in the medical-forensic clinic, we are referring to the work of a psychologist expert within this institution, generally preparing forensic reports in which the hypothetical psychological consequences are evaluated that an individual may have experienced after an alleged attack 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 may also receive requests from the judge aimed at assessing issues such as the possible imputability of an accused, 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 performance 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 may have. Although we have advanced some of them, we are now going to review them in depth.
1. Psychological consequences
One of the main actions that the corresponding judge will request from the psychologist expert is to evaluate the psychological consequences that an individual may have experienced In this case, the job of the medical-forensic clinic professional will be to carry out a psychological examination of the affected person in search of these sequelae.
It is important to be clear that the psychologist expert will always be extremely cautious in his conclusions, and if possible psychological damage is found, he will always refer to the possible compatibility of said consequences with the aggression suffered.
2. Psychopathology
Another of the primary issues that are studied within forensic psychology in the medical-forensic clinic is the presence of 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 considers appropriate to find a hypothetical mental illness that could be related to her actions.
Of course, The forensic reports prepared, as in the rest of the courts where this discipline operates, have an advisory nature for the judge who is the one who always has the last word and therefore the final decision regarding the sentence that will or will not be imposed on the accused, according to his discretion.
3. Credibility of the testimony
One of the most complex tasks included among the functions of expert psychology in the medical-forensic clinic is 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 sexual abuse.
Obviously this is one of the most delicate situations that a professional can face and their work, which must always be impeccable, in this case cannot leave room for the slightest error.
There are interview tools and protocols for minors designed to reduce suggestibility as much as possible, such as the SVA, the GEA-5, Reality Monitoring or the SAL but any misstep can contaminate an answer and even invalidate the test.
One of the classic techniques is to first check the credibility of the testimony of the minor in question regarding any other, neutral fact, such as what he did at his last birthday party. Of course, the age and stage of psychoevolutionary development in which the child is will be key for the evaluation and application of one test or another.
These factors will determine both the understanding of the language and its use and richness, and therefore the expert in expert psychology in the medical-forensic clinic must take it into account before undertaking the examination. It is also essential that the expert assesses the possibility of confusion between reality and imagination an invention carried out for some motivation, and even a hypothetical induction by a third party.
After the exhaustive evaluation of the psychologist expert, he will conclude whether the testimony is credible or incredible, providing adequate grounds for it.
4. Imputability
Imputability is another of the central themes of expert psychology in the medical-forensic clinic. At a legal level, A person will be liable as long as their psychological conditions allow them to know reality and they are also capable of acting based on that perception Therefore, one of the tasks of the psychologist expert is to evaluate to what degree these parameters are met in the accused.
It is important to be clear that the mere fact that a person has psychopathology does not automatically make them unexplainable. For this to occur, said illness must have a direct relationship with the act that he has carried out and for which he is being judged.
Some of the cases that could make a person unchargeable are the following. Firstly, the absolute lack of understanding of the concept of illegality. This condition could occur in subjects who suffer from a deficit in their cognitive abilities, for whatever reason. Likewise, total intoxication due to the consumption of a substance can also affect a person’s liability.
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 his very birth , due to some psychopathological condition. The fact that he had acted in self-defense or defense of other people would also be a reason to take into account.
Finally, a question that becomes fundamental. The forensic psychologist will never conclude that a person is attributable or unindictable, since this is always a decision of the judge. Instead, what he will do is capture the agreement or not of the state of the subject at the time of the act of which he is accused with any of the assumptions of non-imputability, always in terms of possibility.
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 psychologist expert to evaluate the dangerousness of a person who has allegedly committed a crime in order, among other things, to be able to take precautionary measures to 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 necessary tools that provide the professional with the necessary data to be able to create a profile that fits or does not fit with possible dangerous behavior. All this information will be sent 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 medical-forensic clinic, as in other legal settings, can materialize at three different levels, which would involve three phases of action by the expert psychologist.
1. Clinical
The first level is the clinical one. This is the first phase of intervention and encompasses everything related to the exploration of the case in question and carrying out a forensic court interview, which should not be confused with a clinical interview, since the person is not voluntarily before the professional but is there due to a judicial process, which can alter the testimony. The professional must 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 whom said document will be sent.
3. Ratification
The last level of expert psychology in the medical-forensic clinic is the ratification of the forensic report carried out in the courtroom. The psychologist will present the content of the document before the court and answer questions related to the report made by the parties or by the judge.
