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Article published In:
Constructing and Negotiating Identity in Dialogue
Edited by Răzvan Săftoiu
[Language and Dialogue 5:1] 2015
► pp. 152–175

Enunciative identity and individual representation of rape

| Interpsy, EA 4432. Lorraine University, France
| MSH Lorraine, France
| ATILF CNRS — UMR 7118, France

A total of 316 cases of forensic psychological assessment for sexual assaults were analyzed for plaintiffs over 15 years of age. The assessments were conducted between 2008 and 2014 in the presence of the same expert psychologist. The analyses clearly highlight the role of others in the act of filing a complaint. Therefore, the enunciations of the complaint were carefully examined in order to clarify the status of others. The Alterity can be observed in the speech of victims. The psychological assessment interview cannot be reduced to a dialogue in praesentia; in fact, another dialogue is brought to light. The latter falls within internal processes which, in turn, distinguish between two main types of plaintiffs: those who present themselves spontaneously to judicial authorities and the others.

Keywords: speech of sexual assault victims, forensic psychological assessment, Bakhtinian dialogism, dialogue in praesentia and in absentia, spontaneous complaint.
Published online: 23 June 2015
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/ld.5.1.08bat
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