Psychological autopsy as a tool for euthanasia/assisted suicide: analysis of its protocol applicability and recommendations

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Published: 2026-09-28
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21895423
Keywords:
Psychological autopsy, assisted suicide/euthanasia, forensics, criminology, anthropology of death.

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Janeth Rosario Medina Benavides
Universidad Estatal de Milagro, Ecuador.
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7071-6264
Gustavo Eleodoro Valverde Peralta
Universidad Estatal de Milagro, Ecuador.
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3050-6179
Fernando Javier Altamirano Hidalgo
Universidad Internacional SEK, Ecuador.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7820-4535

Abstract

Although the psychological autopsy originated in the clinical and forensic fields, it has faced significant challenges in gaining recognition within the judicial system due to the subjective aspects involved in reconstructing events without direct witnesses. This situation becomes even more complex in suicide cases, where motivations differ and traditional notions of criminal intent are challenged. However, in connection with the design of preventive criminal policies, we propose that the psychological autopsy offers possibilities in an area of recent legal debate: the three-clock protocol for euthanasia/assisted suicide. We suggest that its relative invisibility in this area may stem from the forensic discourse's reliance on the psychiatric notion that suicide is a pathology, thus preventing the exploration of suicidal decisions as cultural acts. We compare three specific works and lay the groundwork for using the psychological autopsy in the new criminological-judicial context, both in suicide prevention and in establishing the context of suicidal decisions. Recommendations are proposed that strengthen the methodological, ethical and training processes with an emphasis on improving their scientific validity applied to the legal field.

Article Details

Issue

No. 28 (septiembre-diciembre) (2026): Redimensionar la discusión por lo público. El rol de lo político frente al pragmatismo.

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Artículos
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Psychological autopsy as a tool for euthanasia/assisted suicide: analysis of its protocol applicability and recommendations. (2026). Encuentros. Revista De Ciencias Humanas, Teoría Social Y Pensamiento Crítico, 28 (septiembre-diciembre), 132-149. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21895423

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