Singer Patrick Bruel narrowly escaped pre-trial detention. On Wednesday June 10, he was finally released under judicial supervision after 48 hours in police custody. Which means that he is subject to numerous obligations, including psychological care. But what do they actually consist of? What topics are covered during these consultations? And what is justice really seeking when it imposes this type of monitoring?
If the exact content of the monitoring remains confidential, two specialists help us to better understand what is behind this measure.
What type of psychological monitoring are we talking about?
Before even looking at the content of the sessions, you must understand what a duty of care legally means.
“There may be criminally ordered treatment which is imposed by the courts. In the vast majority of cases, the law provides that this treatment can be provided after conviction. The obligation to provide care is a form of additional punishment and can even constitute a primary punishment. In this case, the only penalty to which the person concerned is forced is to see a psychiatrist.“, explains Dr Laurent Layet, psychiatrist and expert at the Nîmes Court of Appeal and approved expert at the Court of Cassation.
In the case of Patrick Bruel, this psychological follow-up was decided as part of the current procedure… And no one knows precisely the terms of the requested follow-up.
“The courts do not generally publicly detail the precise content of this support. Which is probably a good thing in itself“, recalls Amélie Boukhobza, psychologist.
However, it remains possible to detail what this type of support involves.
What do we really work on during this “psychological care”?
Contrary to what one might think, the objective here is not to help a person better cope with media exposure or the consequences of such a legal case.
“Because in psychology, you can’t cure an accusation. We don’t take care of our reputation either. We work with a person, their history, their psychological functioning, their ability to question themselves and understand what led them there“, recalls Amélie Boukhobza.
So, what are we talking about in this type of consultation? Certain relational mechanisms would probably be addressed.
“It would above all be a question of exploring the relationship with the other. The relationship with limits. The relationship with consent. The way in which certain people interpret refusals, use their social position, their power, their seduction or their status in the relationship”, explains the psychologist.
In practice, the psychologist or psychiatrist in charge of the singer would mainly seek to understand how he interprets certain situations.
Why does justice impose this type of monitoring?
Behind these supports, the objective is not only to review specific facts. Psychologists also seek to understand what may have encouraged certain behaviors.
“Because what interests psychology is not only what happened. This is also, and above all, why this happened. And why it would happen again, if at all“, confides Amélie Boukhobza.
Afterwards, “when a person is implicated in several similar cases, the question is no longer only that of the act itself, but that of a possible mode of operation. From a rehearsal. A way of relating to others“, explains the expert.
The goal is then to identify the psychological mechanisms likely to be involved and to limit the risk of recurrence.
“This is precisely what specialized care seeks to understand when ordered or recommended in a legal context. The objective is not to punish more, but to reduce the risk of recidivism, to promote awareness and to help the person understand the psychological mechanisms which may have contributed to the behavior complained of.“, confirms the practitioner.
But the person concerned must still adhere to this approach!
“Because no psychological follow-up can produce lasting effects without real involvement of the person concerned. And to work regularly with people subject to an obligation of care, this is often where the main difficulty lies“, concludes Amélie Boukhobza.