COMPREHENSIVE FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGICAL AND LINGUISTIC EXPERT ASSESSMENT IN THE INVESTIGATION OF PRESSURE EXERTED ON WITNESSES BY ORGANISED GROUPS

Abstract

The article examines the phenomenon of the manipulative potential of esoteric practices in the context of abuse of trust and fraudulent activities. This article examines the theoretical and practical aspects of using comprehensive forensic psychological and linguistic expertise in investigating instances of pressure exerted on witnesses by organized groups. The relevance of this topic stems from the prevalence in organized crime of covert forms of obstruction of justice, which are carried out through systematic psychological manipulation, manipulative communication strategies, indirect threats and other forms of veiled coercion, aimed at altering the witness’s behaviour or inducing a refusal to cooperate with the investigation. It is emphasised that such actions often lack direct verbal expression and manifest themselves in contextually determined messages, hints, demonstrations of knowledge about a person’s private circumstances, and the creation of an atmosphere of danger and psychological pressure. Under such conditions, traditional approaches to the analysis of evidential information prove insufficient, necessitating the use of specialist knowledge to establish the true meaning of the communication and its psychological effect. This paper justifies the use of a comprehensive forensic psychological and linguistic assessment as an interdisciplinary tool for investigating communicative manifestations of unlawful influence on participants in criminal proceedings. The content and significance of the psychological and linguistic components of expert examination are revealed, and their interrelationship in the process of establishing signs of pressure, intimidation, manipulation or suggestion is identified. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of linguistic constructions, the communicative orientation of utterances, the contextual meanings of messages, as well as the psychological mechanisms underlying the formation of fear, anxiety or a sense of danger in a witness. It is emphasised that the effectiveness of such an expert examination depends to a large extent on taking into account the situational context of communication, the nature of the relationship between its participants, preceding events, and the individual psychological characteristics of the message’s recipient. The article also examines the subjects of comprehensive forensic psychological and linguistic analysis, including text messages, telephone conversations, audio and video recordings of communications, correspondence in digital environments, and other information materials that may contain indications of communicative influence. The significance of expert opinions for establishing the psychological content of communication and their use in the evidentiary system during investigations into the activities of organized criminal groups is analysed. Attention is drawn to problematic aspects of commissioning and conducting a comprehensive expert examination, in particular the difficulties in interpreting veiled statements, the need for a clear definition of the limits of competence of experts from different fields, as well as the importance of interdisciplinary interaction between psychological and linguistic analysis. It has been concluded that a comprehensive forensic psychological and linguistic assessment is an effective tool for supporting criminal investigations into instances of pressure exerted on witnesses, as it enables the identification of covert forms of psychological influence, reveals the true communicative intent of messages, and provides objective scientific data for assessing the relevant circumstances in criminal proceedings. The further development of methodologies for conducting such examinations is of great importance for enhancing the effectiveness of combating organized crime and ensuring the proper protection of participants in criminal proceedings from unlawful influence.