Pathology of Lying, Accusation, and Swindling: A Study in Forensic PsychologyHealy, William
Science
Pathology of Lying, Accusation, and Swindling: A Study in Forensic Psychology
Healy, William
Criminal psychology; Swindlers and swindling
Summary: This case illustrates the fact that pathological lying
and accusation may arise first during a period of special stress.
A young woman of 19, after illegitimately becoming pregnant, was
found home after home by a charitable organization. In each
place she made false accusations of immoral proposals against
some one in the family or neighborhood. This created much
trouble and lost her several good homes. Her lies persisted
after an abortion had been secretly produced, but it is to be
noted that she now, as a sequel to the operation, suffered from
irritative pelvic conditions.
A short statement of this case will suffice to bring out the
point that during a period of social and mental upset
pathological lying and accusation may be first indulged in. We
studied the case of a young woman of 19 who had been the source
of much trouble in a certain locality on account of her false
accusations. She was taken in hand by a charitable organization
and found a home, after she had become pregnant at a wedding
feast where alcoholic stimulants flowed freely. There was then
no one to look after her but an invalid father. She was placed
with an estimable family. In a short time she made the shocking
announcement to the wife, and to others, that the husband had
made immoral advances to her. He was a man of excellent
character and of course this could not be believed. She was then
placed on a farm, where she showed erotic tendencies and insisted
that one of the helpers about the place wanted to take liberties
with her. She was observed flirting and making advances to
thrashers and others. She had to be found a new home, and this
time it was in a city, where new accusations were made against a
delivery boy. After this the young woman made off and shifted
for herself for a time, and succeeded in getting some shady
character to produce an abortion on her. Later, she again came
to the official attention of the social agency by reason of
making new accusations. From the date of her impregnation to the
time we first studied her, a period of about 10 months, she had
made serious accusations against many. When her lies were told
in a new environment they, of course, always made new trouble.
Each time, however, the girl herself was the loser. Her real
partner at the wedding feast had early deposited several hundred
dollars for the expected infant.
We found a strong, normally developed young woman of rather
attractive appearance for the grade in society from which she
came. No sensory defect. Diseased tonsils. Complained of
constant suffering from pelvic conditions, perhaps induced by the
abortion. However, being such a strong type she has been able to
get about well and do her daily work. When we saw her she was
employed in a factory.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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