Physicians, the Spanish Inquisition, and Commonalities With Forensic Psychiatry

The Spanish Inquisition was founded in 1478 by the Catholic monarchs and operated with the goal of controlling heresy in society. Religion was omnipresent, and Jewish (Jews who had converted to Christianity) who continued to observe Jewish practices were many of the accused. In cases in which the de...

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Published inThe journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Vol. 49; no. 1; pp. 107 - 114
Main Authors Forcén, Fernando Espí, Hatters Friedman, Susan
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.03.2021
Subjects
torture
forensic psychiatry
ethics
Spanish Inquisition
interrogation
religion
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Summary:The Spanish Inquisition was founded in 1478 by the Catholic monarchs and operated with the goal of controlling heresy in society. Religion was omnipresent, and Jewish (Jews who had converted to Christianity) who continued to observe Jewish practices were many of the accused. In cases in which the defendant was thought to have mental illness, the Inquisition's physicians were to evaluate the person and provide reports and expert evidence. Those defendants who were found to have genuine mental illness were generally freed or transferred to specific hospitals for those with mental illness. Case examples elucidate the methods used by the Spanish Inquisition physicians to differentiate mental illness from malingering and heresy. Physicians also treated inmates and participated in evaluations regarding the appropriateness of torture. Understanding the events of the Spanish Inquisition and the role of physicians holds relevance for contemporary forensic psychiatry.
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ISSN:1943-3662
DOI:10.29158/JAAPL.200052-20