In the book Zbrodnia niedoskonała [The Imperfect Crime], which you co-authored with Katarzyna Bonda, you argue that the perfect crime does not exist. Why is that?
Indeed, the perfect crime does not exist, if only because every human being makes mistakes. Even when an offender carefully prepares to commit a crime, they remain unaware of their own limitations and are unable to fully control the various emotions accompanying the event. Sometimes they overestimate their abilities. This is often the case with individuals who assume that after committing a murder they will be able to move the body and place it somewhere inaccessible. In practice, this proves extremely difficult, which frequently comes as a surprise to offenders.
Emotions also lead perpetrators to try to improve the results of their actions. Increasingly often, they plant various traces intended to mislead law enforcement authorities and direct investigations towards incorrect conclusions. However, a thorough examination of the entire sequence of events step by step makes it possible to identify behavioural traces that later form the basis for drawing conclusions about the personality traits of an unknown offender.
That is why the perfect crime does not exist. Research and forensic techniques continue to develop year by year, and analyses are becoming increasingly detailed, meaning that those responsible for crimes are exposed much more quickly than in the past.
True crime podcasts are currently enjoying unprecedented popularity. What explains the growing interest in fact-based crime stories across popular culture?
The popularity of podcasts is linked to human curiosity. Today, there is hardly a television channel that considers itself reputable without broadcasting crime-related programmes. Such content naturally attracts viewers. What matters is not only curiosity but, above all, a well-constructed narrative and numerous plot twists.
The more layered and enigmatic the narrative, the more compelling it becomes and the larger the audience it attracts. If a podcast creator can skilfully control the flow of information and present it only in fragments, allowing listeners to interpret events for themselves, they can easily draw them into a game in which they are required to reflect and, in a sense, become investigators themselves. Once someone listens to a single episode, they are often eager to explore the next one.
Have you ever prepared an expert opinion that changed the course of judicial proceedings? Could you tell us about such a case?
Not only in court proceedings, but also – and perhaps above all – during pre-trial investigations, forensic psychology opinions are playing an increasingly important role. They make it possible to link different traces and, on that basis, identify individual characteristics of an offender that are relatively rare within the general population. This is supplemented by behavioural traces found at crime scenes. These are also analysed and can contribute significantly to identifying the perpetrator.
There are cases in which investigators are unable to determine what actually happened. This is where so-called psychological profiles of deceased persons become important. The work of a forensic psychologist then focuses on establishing the nature of the event. Generally speaking, there are three possible explanations: homicide, suicide or an accident.
It was only in the 1990s that investigators began to recognise the important role of knowledge about victims in criminal proceedings. Such knowledge often produces results that even law enforcement authorities do not anticipate. I remember a case involving an elderly woman who claimed she had witnessed an offender disposing of a body in a manhole. Naturally, after many years, memories of such events may become blurred, particularly in older individuals. The case appeared hopeless. However, the woman had kept a diary in which she recorded various details preceding the incident. These materials allowed us to reconstruct a story that ultimately helped answer questions concerning the offender’s motivation.
There are cases in which a single detail provides such significant information that, for example, an analysis of a victim’s clothing enables us to determine how many offenders were involved.
What practical skills do participants in your classes acquire, and how can they use them in their professional careers?
Participants in the non-degree postgraduate programme Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology primarily gain knowledge of analytical methods and capabilities. They learn new techniques used in forensic psychology, including the preparation of typological opinions, deceased-offender profiling and the construction of psychological and forensic profiles that help narrow the scope of investigations.
As a result, a group of 500 potential suspects may be reduced to 100 individuals. This demonstrates the importance of profiling, as well as statistical research concerning the types of people who commit particular offences. Further analysis of information related to the victim’s functioning – known as victimological data – makes it possible to establish with whom the individual maintained relationships. This significantly facilitates investigative and forensic activities.
In addition, our students receive extensive information on various forms of interviewing, particularly so-called special interviews. Many classes are practice-based, allowing participants to work with authentic material collected from crime scenes. During these sessions, students learn, among other things, about the physical and psychological capabilities and limitations of individuals at different stages of life, which helps narrow down the pool of potential suspects.
We also provide a broad range of knowledge concerning forensic psychiatric and forensic psychological expert opinion practice. We teach participants how such opinions are prepared, how they can be verified and analysed, and how they may later be used during legal proceedings.
What distinguishes the non-degree postgraduate programme Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology from other training opportunities available to legal professionals?
We have assembled a teaching team drawn from various centres across Poland. These are not only academics, but above all practitioners and experts in their respective fields. The programme is delivered by a genuinely outstanding and carefully selected team.
Another advantage is that a substantial part of the curriculum consists of practical classes based not on experimental material but on evidence secured from real crime scenes. This enables participants to examine specific sequences of events and learn how they can be analysed, which constitutes a major educational benefit.
I would also like to add that, when compared with programmes of a similar nature, this course is exceptionally effective. This is confirmed by feedback from participants themselves, who regularly recommend it to other professionals.
BIOGRAPHY
Dr Bogdan Lach is a forensic psychologist, court-appointed expert in psychology and one of Poland’s most highly regarded criminal profilers. He specialises in violent crime. As the first forensic psychologist in Poland to focus on offender profiling, he has so far developed more than 400 psychological and forensic profiles of unidentified offenders.
A retired Police Sub-Inspector affiliated with the Provincial Police Headquarters in Katowice, he previously worked, among others, within the Prison Service and as an expert and coordinator of a team of psychologists. He is a university lecturer, an author of publications in forensic psychology, and a co-author of books devoted to criminal profiling. He has been awarded the Gold Cross of Merit and the Distinguished Police Officer badge.
Edit and photos: Daniel Maliński (Faculty of Law and Administration, University of Lodz)
