How do educated women come to participate in the murder of a healer? A psychologist has an explanation

According to his judgment, their belief in reincarnation, esoteric vision of the world, and other elements of spirituality did not originally deviate from common religious beliefs.

In the “murder of the healer” case, the court is still waiting for a key expert opinion

Contact with a skilled manipulator striving for power, his profits and pursuing his own interests (as the expert perceives the deceased healer) then led to a shift to the level of sectarian fanaticism with loss of criticality and absolute acceptance of the position of the admired person – the healer – without rational correction.

The expert believes that under the influence of a charismatic person with manipulative skills, these people fell under his influence, adopted his values ​​and opinions – and were willing to follow his orders. Without the ability to subject them to reason control, much less resist them.

Although in the case of the deed under discussion, the expert Vavřík admitted that the convicted dentist, although very strongly dependent on the injured party, “to a certain extent resisted” obeying the instructions to participate in the death of the healer. But at the same time she wanted to please and she liked him to a certain extent.

From the point of view of both women, the healer was a revered authority who was not only not criticized, but not even doubted. It can thus be understood that they were also involved in actions aimed at participating in his execution when he ordered it.

“It was motivated by obedience and a willingness to respect instructions, but also by a subsequent belief in spiritual transcendence,” explained the psychologist. He stated that this behavior can be fully explained by psychological mechanisms. “Nothing pathological,” remarked Vavřík.

The case of the murder of the healer: the sanity of the defendants is still pending

Regarding the role of the dentist, who, according to numerous witness statements, also faced domestic violence and sexual abuse from the doctor, when asked by her defense attorney Martin Bugaje, he said that these were extremely hurtful experiences – and her role in the case should also be evaluated from this point of view.

Assessing personality and motivational processes, according to an expert in the field of psychology, “makes psychological sense.” However, according to him, the basic conclusion of the experts who drew up a revision report on the case of the murder of the healer being discussed by the court is psychiatric.

Vavřík perceives the murdered healer as an unbalanced, disharmonious personality with psychopathic traits, who had a very strong need for power. According to him, it helped him “fill up with energy, cope with inner fragility and realize his goals.”

“He behaved in a predatory manner, he allowed himself to be served, he was unable to create a relationship that would be symmetrical,” said the psychologist in his address. At the same time, he recalled that sometimes he behaved like a child, while at other times he was very bossy.

Which is not excluded: there may be a superstructure of dominance over infantility. He believes that the key was his need for power, which significantly fueled relationships with the environment, the need for power, the desire to control, to gain supremacy – and also material gains. Apparently, he said, the sadistic behavior associated with torture and psychological coercion also brought him “sexual gains”.

Women accused of murdering a healer must undergo institutional observation. The court decided on it

However, individual witnesses could also recognize him in other – and even considerably different contexts. “He was very complicated and played games in front of the crowd; sometimes even in front of himself,” said the expert in response to questions from the defendants’ lawyers.

Although he did not examine the healer, he also stated that “he was not crazy” – he was able to adapt his actions to his goals. According to expert Vavřík’s evaluation, the healer was, among other things, a skilled organizer, a skilled speaker with the ability to respond promptly and, if necessary, offer the listeners what they want to hear.

He managed to be persuasive and gain the trust of people with higher education and status. And he was able to retreat into the background where he was not sure. Expert Vavřík’s appearance in the crowded courtroom number 114 dragged on – mainly because of his “grilling” with very specific questions from the lawyers; but there was also sometimes a very detailed discussion of the psychologist’s work and its procedures.

In the end, the psychologist’s interrogation lasted five hours without 15 minutes – when, for example, even the defendants laughed at one of Bugaj’s questions (apparently aimed at comparing different expert opinions): “Can a d*bil graduate from college?” On the contrary, no one laughed when the expert with difficulties he answered the question of when and how he consulted his conclusions with a psychiatrist.

He spoke about e-mail correspondence, which he described as private messages. The expert also reminded that he was supposed to explain something that he had already talked about several times in the courtroom. State representative Jana Murínová also objected to this.

However, the president of the senate, Daniella Sarah Sotolářová, stated that she has already resigned – rather than arguing whether there is any extra word in the question, she considers it faster if the lawyers ask questions and the expert answers.

The case of the Kutnohorsk dentist: A year has passed since the death of the healer, what will the court decide?

Attention was also drawn, for example, to his words about the fact that he wrote his opinion even when he stayed in the United States for 14 days at the end of December, and therefore did not have the file at hand at that time. In January, he had the entire file at his disposal.

When asked why he didn’t listen to the only additional audio recording of the healer’s speech at that time, he said that he already had the psychological profile of the healer written and didn’t expect anything more important.

“The profile is not a scientific paper – and I was not even given one,” he said. Still, he insists he had enough background that was enough – and the profile created is perfectly fine. “I am not the primary evaluator of the file,” he said, adding that his job is to bring new knowledge to the file for examination and interpretation.

However, the psychiatrist’s questioning of the defendants’ sanity will be key. Psychiatrists are the ones who assess recognition and control abilities, which is essential for criminal law.

Key questioning of a psychiatrist

Nevertheless, the questioning of psychiatrist Ladislav Hosák from Hradec Králové is particularly key; among other things, to the sanity of the defendants. It is precisely psychiatrists who assess recognition and control abilities, which is essential for the criminal panel in order to decide on guilt and possible punishment.

The dentist’s psychiatric report mentions depression (which was also dealt with at Šternberk Psychiatric Hospital), adjustment disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Even with anxiety, self-blame and suicidal thoughts. Recognition abilities were preserved, control slightly reduced, but only insignificantly. Outpatient psychiatric treatment can be recommended, according to Hosák, to reduce the possibility of recurrence of a depressive episode.

The case of the dentist from Kutná Hora: “She considered him a god,” said the expert

However, experts in the field of psychiatry reject the diagnosis referred to as induced delusional disorder, which is referred to in one of the earlier expert reports requested by the defense. They reason that the healer did not suffer from delusions, so he could not even transfer them to anyone. The idea that he created a “new religion” cannot be delusional – he actually created them.

And back to the defendant herself: without professional help, she would not have been able to get rid of her delusions quickly – and that was in the short time between the victim’s death and the case being reported to the police. she was aware of what she had caused to everyone around her and what was threatening her. Even in her case, for example, thoughts of suicide appeared.

However, at the time of the crime, according to the institutional psychiatric report, the former teacher was mentally healthy – and recognition and control abilities were fully preserved, Hosák said. Experts did not recommend protective treatment this time. In her case, too, they rejected the diagnosis of induced delusional disorder according to an earlier report requested by the defense – with the same arguments as in the case of the dentist.

The dentist and her acquaintance are accused of murder. The man promised them that his body would disappear

Even the subsequent questions were extensive, when lawyer Bukwaj brought specialist publications on psychiatry into the courtroom, looking for evidence that the healer’s ideas could have been delusions. From a psychiatric point of view, as Hosák then explained, it is not a delusion if he considered himself or declared himself to be Jesus and his father, Lucifer or Putin, if this happened within the framework of a religious movement and if the matter has a religious dimension also in that others he was able to convince the community members of this identity. It would be delusional if he invented the idea that he was an octopus (which he would probably hardly convince anyone of) – and it would also be delusional if he could not convince members of the community of his idea that he was Jesus…

We will continue this debate in the Chamber sometime next time. Judge Sotolářová adjourned the main trial to May 27, when the documentary evidence will be read and a recording of the deceased healer’s voice should be played, which was additionally procured and sent to the experts by plaintiff Murínová. Professor Hosák will additionally let us know whether he will be able to come to the continuation of the debate with lawyers on the secrets of psychiatry during this period – and if not, the date of the next meeting day will be sought.

After that, the main treatment in the case of the murder of the healer should go back to the finals: to the closing arguments (when, in addition to the lawyers, the dentist on trial will probably speak more extensively) and then to the announcement of the verdict. However, whatever the verdict is, the case will certainly still go to the High Court in Prague: on the initiative of an appeal by at least one of the parties.