Suspects and Accused Persons with Intellectual and Psychosocial Disabilities: Identification and Communication

Many suspects and accused persons have intellectual or psychosocial impairments that, if not identified on time, may affect their ability to effectively and fairly participate in the criminal proceedings. Unlike age and physical illness, which are easily recognised, intellectual and psychosocial disabilities are not always visible and may remain unnoticed or misinterpreted. While some people may inform the criminal justice authorities of their disability, others may not be aware of their condition or try to hide it to avoid stigmatisation and intimidation. This manual is designed to provide criminal justice practitioners with practical guidelines on how to identify and communicate with suspects and accused persons with intellectual and psychosocial impairments considering their vulnerable situation and respecting their rights.his report was published in the framework of the project 'OPSIDIANET: Offenders with Psychosocial and Intellectual Disabilities: Identification, Assessment of Needs and Equal Treatment' funded by the European Union's Justice Programme (2014-2020). The content of the report represents the views of the authors only and is their sole responsibility. The European Commission does not accept any responsibility for use that may be made of the information it contains