THE ROLE OF THE MENTAL HEALTH EXPERT TEAM IN THE INVESTIGATION PROCESS OF MURDER CRIMES IN PROF. HB. SAANIN PADANG MENTAL HOSPITAL

Abstract

Determining the mental condition of the perpetrator of murder requires a team of mental health experts conducted at Prof. HB. Saanin Padang Mental Hospital through a request for a visum et repertum psychiatricum. This research is conducted juridically sociologically with the aim of knowing the role of the mental health expert team in the criminal investigation process of murder and what obstacles the mental health team faces at Prof. HB. Saanin Padang Mental Hospital. The results of the study found that; 1) The role of the mental health expert team is important to help investigators determine whether the examinee is capable of being responsible or not for the criminal threat, by providing oral testimony as an expert witness and written testimony through the VeRP report. 2) The obstacles faced by the expert team in carrying out their role include: limited visum service facilities (special forensic psychiatry room and CCTV), limited number and competence of the expert team, high cost of visum, the role and understanding of investigators in requesting visum, incomplete administration, communication barriers of the tortured and the same length of treatment as ordinary patients.