The Infanticide: Some Forensic and Ethical Issues

Abstract

Forensic investigation and clinical treatment of infanticide mother is occasion to reflect about this crime, related to social stigma. The forensic-psychiatric assessment must be anchored on authentic and meaningful clinical relationship to criminal mother, without misinterpretation and controtransferal dynamics, such as emotional reactions of mistrust and stigmatization toward the offender, which prevent the evaluator from a correct psychological and psychopathological comprehension. Otherwise, diachronic, multidisciplinary diagnostic evaluation may lead to strategies for treatment and rehabilitation, which can bring the patient to regain his dignity, his working capacities and social role, in order to ensure the penalty be rehabilitative and not only retributive