Citation

Tatarelli R, Del Casale A, Tatarelli C, Serata D, Rapinesi C, Sani G, Kotzalidis GD, Girardi P. Forensic Sci. Int. 2014; 237C: 40-45.

Affiliation

Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health, and Sensory Organs (NESMOS), School of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy; Department of Neuropsychiatry, Villa Rosa, Suore Ospedaliere of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Viterbo, Italy.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.forsciint.2014.01.011

PMID

24561558

Abstract

Several questions arise from the recent use of behavioral genetic research data in the courtroom. Ethical issues concerning the influence of biological factors on human free will, must be considered when specific gene patterns are advocated to constrain court's judgment, especially regarding violent crimes. Aggression genetics studies are both difficult to interpret and inconsistent, hence, in the absence of a psychiatric diagnosis, genetic data are currently difficult to prioritize in the courtroom. The judge's probabilistic considerations in formulating a sentence must take into account causality, and the latter cannot be currently ensured by genetic data.

Language: en