Psychological abuse in victims of gender violence: medical-legal and forensic assessment

In 1996 the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the eradication of the violence against women a priority for public health. This violence causes serious consequences, not only physical but also psychological and social, to women and their families. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the importance of a medico-legal assessment of the psychological ill-treatment and abuse in the victims of gender violence, together with the changes in diagnostic method and victim identification depending on the environment. The mental imprint is both the key to cases of psychological violence referred to in the Organic Act 1/2004 on integrated protective measures against gender violence, and also a consequence in the acts of physical violence, threats, coercion or freedom deprivation. In view of this, the mental imprint seems to have been insufficiently considered as proof of charge. It is necessary to develop a comprehensive forensic assessment including forensic psychologists to assess the mental injury and the emotional suffering associated with ill-treatment and abuse.