Spanish version: sl.ugr.es/absuelta
French version: sl.ugr.es/absueltaFR
This is the first time in Spain that a jury asks for a neuropsychological expert report for a woman victim of gender-based violence as part of a forensic process, although that test is widely used as an expert evidence in other countries, such as the United States
The woman, named A.P., killed her husband and went to prison for that crime, but the jury took into account the report carried out by the investigators, where they revealed the cognitive sequelae that she suffered due to the effects that three years of blows to the head caused to her brain
This is the first time in Spain that a jury asks for a neuropsychological expert report for a woman victim of gender-based violence as part of a forensic process, although that test is widely used as an expert evidence in other countries, such as the United States.
The work, published in the Behavioral Psychology journal, shows the usefulness of neuropsychological reports to evidence the damage done to women victims and survivors of gender-based violence as well as its usefulness in forensic processes.
The Neuropsychology and Psychoneuroimmunology research group at the University of Granada (UGR), which has carried out this work, is currently studying the cognitive sequelae in women victims of gender-based violence, especially the role that blows to the head and post-traumatic stress can do to the brain, thus altering its functioning.
«Currently, a complete neuropsychological assessment of abused women is not routinely performed for its inclusion in forensic processes, where the sequelae may have legal implications», Natalia A. Hidalgo Ruzzante, researcher from the Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC, from its abbreviation in Spanish) at the University of Granada and lead author of this paper, explains.
She was abused for three years
The woman whose case is included in this study, named A.P., had neuropsychological alterations compatible with having suffered repeated blows to the head for a period of three years. Said alterations were enough to exempt her from criminal responsibility, as was the judgment of the popular jury, later ratified by the High Court of Justice of Andalusia (TSJA).
The UGR scientists applied a complete neuropsychological battery to the woman in order to evaluate the main neuropsychological domains: perception, attention, memory, language, executive functioning, and simulation. Forensic neuropsychological evaluation showed that A.P. had executive functioning and attention problems (working memory, flexibility and decision making). Simulation was discarded. Considering the neuropsychological report, the jury decided to declare A.P. not guilty of murder.
Currently, the UGR research group efforts are focused in the VIVIRÉ (I will live) Project, whose name comes from the abbreviation in Spanish of «Victims of gender-based violence: neuropsychological evaluation and rehabilitation» (http://neurociencia.ugrmecenazgo.es/). Said efforts are focused on the development of cognitive assessment batteries and rehabilitation programs specific to such sequelae in abused women.
This work has counted with the patronage of the University of Granada, and those interested in collaborating can do so by making a deposit to the following accounts: ES21-3023-0140-62-5983149500 (Caja Rural de Granada), ES96-2100-2520-2802-1006-3590 (Caixa Bank), or ES48-0049-0004-95-2814499711 (Santander), indicating «Proyecto Viviré«; or paying by bank card through the following link: http://neurociencia.ugrmecenazgo.es/donate/
The UGR Neuropsychology and Psychoneuroimmunology research group members who have carried out this work. From left to right: Mª Isabel Marín Torices, Miguel Pérez and Natalia A. Hidalgo
Referencia bibliográfica:
Neuropsicología forense en un caso de violencia de género. Mª Isabel Marín Torices, Natalia Hidalgo Ruzzante, Vicente Tovar Sabio y Miguel Pérez García Behavioral Psychology / Psicología Conductual, Vol. 24, Nº 2, 2016, pp. 361-376
Contact:
Natalia A. Hidalgo Ruzzante
Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación
Centro de Investigación Mente, Cerebro y Comportamiento (CIMCYC) de la Universidad de Granada
Telephone: (+34) 958 243 969
E-mail: nhidalgo@ugr.es
Mª Isabel Marín Torices
Centro de Investigación Mente, Cerebro y Comportamiento (CIMCYC) de la Universidad de Granada
E-mail: psmaribel@hotmail.com
