Falska erkännanden
(2018) JURM02 20182Department of Law
Faculty of Law
- Abstract
- In this essay I aim to explain what factors that takes part in situations where a suspect admits to a crime that he or she has not committed. I will also try to explain what legal safetynets are in place in order to mitigate the risk of false confessions happening. This is done through an inter-disciplinary study of the phenomena where the legal aspects are complimented by various psycological aspects. The essay is made with a Swedish perspective, however, quite a lot of the research in the essay is the result of a vary of studies that have taken place in different countries and by researchers from different nationalities.
Regarding the psychological aspects the essay breaks down the affecting factors into two categories, inner factors... (More) - In this essay I aim to explain what factors that takes part in situations where a suspect admits to a crime that he or she has not committed. I will also try to explain what legal safetynets are in place in order to mitigate the risk of false confessions happening. This is done through an inter-disciplinary study of the phenomena where the legal aspects are complimented by various psycological aspects. The essay is made with a Swedish perspective, however, quite a lot of the research in the essay is the result of a vary of studies that have taken place in different countries and by researchers from different nationalities.
Regarding the psychological aspects the essay breaks down the affecting factors into two categories, inner factors and outer factors. The part of the essay that details some of the inner factors aim to explain what individual factors that affects the likeliness off him giving a false confession. Among others, personality disorders and drug abuse are considered to be affecting factors which I have classified as internal factors. Outer factors are factors that are connected to the surroundings of the suspect rather than connected to the suspect. Such factors could be the interrogation or the restrictions that are applied to a suspect in custody. As the essay will show it is usually the combination of inner and outer factors that generally result in false confessions.
Regarding the legislative safetynets that are put in place in order to mitigate the risk of false confessions, it is my opinion that this essay shows that there are quite a few safeguards in place, both domestic and international. It is my opinion that there is a relative small risk of a suspect being convicted of a serious offence in Sweden due to giving a false confession. However it is also my conclusion that there could arise a risk of suspects being convicted of some less serious crimes due to giving false confessions. This is mainly due to procedural rules and a lesser need of evidence supporting the confession when the crime that the individual is suspected of comitting, is considered a less serious crime. (Less) - Abstract (Swedish)
- I denna uppsats kommer jag att försöka förklara vilka faktorer som spelar in i de situationer då en misstänkt säger sig vara skyldig till ett brott som han eller hon inte har begått. Jag kommer även att försöka förklara vilka rättsliga säkerhetsåtgärder det finns som bl.a. kan leda till en minskad risk för falska bekännelser. Detta görs genom en tvärvetenskaplig studie av fenomenet där de juridiska aspekterna kompletteras av olika psykologiska aspekter.
Uppsatsen är skriven utifrån ett svenskt perspektiv, men en del av forskningen som använts är resultat av studier som skett i olika länder, av forskare med olika nationaliteter.
När det gäller de psykologiska aspekterna delas de påverkande faktorerna upp i två kategorier, inre... (More) - I denna uppsats kommer jag att försöka förklara vilka faktorer som spelar in i de situationer då en misstänkt säger sig vara skyldig till ett brott som han eller hon inte har begått. Jag kommer även att försöka förklara vilka rättsliga säkerhetsåtgärder det finns som bl.a. kan leda till en minskad risk för falska bekännelser. Detta görs genom en tvärvetenskaplig studie av fenomenet där de juridiska aspekterna kompletteras av olika psykologiska aspekter.
Uppsatsen är skriven utifrån ett svenskt perspektiv, men en del av forskningen som använts är resultat av studier som skett i olika länder, av forskare med olika nationaliteter.
När det gäller de psykologiska aspekterna delas de påverkande faktorerna upp i två kategorier, inre faktorer och yttre faktorer. Den del av uppsatsen som beskriver de inre faktorerna syftar till att beskriva vilka individuella faktorer som påverkar sannolikheten till att den misstänkte avger ett falskt erkännande. Exempel på de faktorer som jag klassificerat som inre faktorer är bl.a. personlighetsstörningar och missbruksproblematik. Yttre faktorer är de faktorer som är kopplade till omständigheterna runt om den misstänkte snarare än egenskaper som är kopplade till individen. Exempel på yttre faktorer är bl.a. förhöret och eventuella restriktioner som används under häktningstiden. Som uppsatsen kommer visa så är det ofta en kombination av inne och yttre faktorer som spelar in när en individ avger ett falskt erkännande.
Gällande de juridiska säkerhetsnät som bl.a. syftar till att begränsa risken för att en misstänkt ska erkänna ett brott som denne inte har begått så är det min uppfattning att uppsatsen kommer visa att det finns flera sådana på plats, både i nationell lagstiftning och internationella konventioner. Det är min uppfattning att det är en relativt liten risk att en misstänkt blir dömd för ett allvarligt brott på grund av ett falskt erkännande i Sverige. Dock är det också min uppfattning risken för falska erkännanden är större vid mindre allvarlig brottslighet. Detta har jag bedömt beror på en kombination av processrättsliga regler och ett minskat behov av kompletterande bevisning när en misstänkt har erkänt ett mindre allvarligt brott. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/8969601
- author
- Fransson, Hampus LU
- supervisor
-
- Karol Nowak LU
- organization
- alternative title
- False confessions
- course
- JURM02 20182
- year
- 2018
- type
- H3 - Professional qualifications (4 Years - )
- subject
- keywords
- straffrätt (en. criminal law)
- language
- Swedish
- id
- 8969601
- date added to LUP
- 2019-04-16 09:55:07
- date last changed
- 2019-04-16 09:55:07
@misc{8969601,
abstract = {{In this essay I aim to explain what factors that takes part in situations where a suspect admits to a crime that he or she has not committed. I will also try to explain what legal safetynets are in place in order to mitigate the risk of false confessions happening. This is done through an inter-disciplinary study of the phenomena where the legal aspects are complimented by various psycological aspects. The essay is made with a Swedish perspective, however, quite a lot of the research in the essay is the result of a vary of studies that have taken place in different countries and by researchers from different nationalities.
Regarding the psychological aspects the essay breaks down the affecting factors into two categories, inner factors and outer factors. The part of the essay that details some of the inner factors aim to explain what individual factors that affects the likeliness off him giving a false confession. Among others, personality disorders and drug abuse are considered to be affecting factors which I have classified as internal factors. Outer factors are factors that are connected to the surroundings of the suspect rather than connected to the suspect. Such factors could be the interrogation or the restrictions that are applied to a suspect in custody. As the essay will show it is usually the combination of inner and outer factors that generally result in false confessions.
Regarding the legislative safetynets that are put in place in order to mitigate the risk of false confessions, it is my opinion that this essay shows that there are quite a few safeguards in place, both domestic and international. It is my opinion that there is a relative small risk of a suspect being convicted of a serious offence in Sweden due to giving a false confession. However it is also my conclusion that there could arise a risk of suspects being convicted of some less serious crimes due to giving false confessions. This is mainly due to procedural rules and a lesser need of evidence supporting the confession when the crime that the individual is suspected of comitting, is considered a less serious crime.}},
author = {{Fransson, Hampus}},
language = {{swe}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Falska erkännanden}},
year = {{2018}},
}