Forensic Psychological Evaluation of Survivors of Feminicide: A Dignified Forensic Intervention for Victims

Not only do survivors of an attempted feminicide are in a condition of helplessness against their perpetrators but also toward society and the criminal justice system, being commonly treated as if they did not exist because they are not the “ideal” victims because there is no death or body to investigate. A lack of documentation that informs the number of people who survive an attempted feminicide and the potential risk of losing their lives is not assessed, which produces, then, a sense of impunity; they are reclassified as another crime(s), minimizing the injuries or affectations that were caused. However, from a psychosocial point of view, it is highly detrimental for the survivors, thus generating a high-risk exposure to other victimizing events within and outside the legal and forensic environment. This chapter presents reflections and methodologies through forensic psychology toward the attention and understanding of feminicide survivors’ experiences of harm. Through this chapter, it is acknowledged that collecting their testimonies through a forensic psychological evaluation has legal implications, but it is more than knowing their stories; it is helping to make their experiences visible, manage protection measures, and contribute to their recovery.