Abstract

GARCIA PEREZ, Teresita. Espectro de aplicación de la autopsia psicológica. Med. leg. Costa Rica [online]. 1998, vol.15, n.1-2, pp.17-18. ISSN 2215-5287.

The indirect or retrospective evaluation of the personality and life of a deceased person is called a psychological autopsy. It is about the cientific procedure to evaluate, after death, the victim's life; it's like a sociopsychopathological post-mortem reconstruction. Important elements: 1. Evaluate the risks of a suicidal, heteroagressive, or  accidental death. 2. Evaluate the life style of the victim. 3. Stipulate the mental firness of the deceased at the time of death. 4. Stablish the sensitive and problematic areas of the victim 5. Determine if there was presuicidal warnings. 6. Stipulate any presuicidal warnings. It is ncesary to clarify that the psychological autopsy is always giving in probability terms, and its result must be added up with the others criminalistic, police and forensic examinations to confirm a final decision. It is also important to know that a psychological autopsy can stablish a posible murderer, if it was a homicide, by evaluating the victim's relationships, conflicts, motivations and life style.

Keywords : probability; procedure; scientific; post-mortem reconstruction; expertise; investigation; suicide; homicide; accidental death.