2008 Volume 7 Issue 1 Pages 93-106
Expert psychological opinion regarding a murder case was reported. The statements of the accused in this case often swung between admission and denial. First, the psychological traits of the accused were examined from data which included his statements, the testimonies of other persons, and the results of several psychological tests. It became clear that the accused was mildly mentally retarded and that while his speech ability was relatively high; it would still be difficult for him to logically reason about something. It was known that he sometimes told lies, which could easily be uncovered. Next, the accused's statements were analyzed on the assumption that either he really committed the murder or that he was innocent. As a result, under the assumption that he really committed the crime, parts of his statements were not understandable; these being ones in which he explained about how the murder was carried out. On the other hand, under the assumption that he was innocent, his statements were understandable on the basis of his psychological traits.
