Seminar on the phenomenon of false confessions which can lead to miscarriages of justice

The School of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Nicosia cordially invites you to a seminar on “The Psychology of False Confessions” by Dr Stavroulla Soukara, Associate Professor of Forensic Psychology, Department of Social Sciences, University of Nicosia.

The phenomenon of false confessions which can lead to miscarriages of justice is widely recognised, even though their prevalence is difficult to underpin as there are practical difficulties in establishing their exact frequency. Nevertheless, according to the “Innocence Project” in the USA, during the last 25 years, 362 people have been acquitted after having spent on average 17 years in prison for crimes they never committed. A significant 30% of those wrongful convictions were based on some form of false confession or other self-incriminating statement.

In this talk, Dr Stavroula Soukara will explore the reasons behind peoples’ decision to admit to crimes they are not responsible for, the different types of false confessions and the psychology behind them, as well as the role of investigative interviewing in the prevention of such incidents.