Overview of the Forensic Assessments in the Algeciras Case
Two coroners delivered a report to a national audience, addressing the individual under investigation for the murder of a priest during the January 25 attack on two churches in Algeciras, Cádiz. The document notes the possibility of a psychotic condition that could have influenced the accused’s faculties at the time of the incident.
This is the second forensic assessment received by the judge presiding over the investigation, which concentrates on a jihadist-style assault that left several wounded, including a priest. As reported by El Independiente, legal sources confirmed the content of this document to EFE, referencing two forensic doctors from the Seville prison psychiatric hospital. The investigation centers on the young Moroccan suspect, Yassine Kanjaa, who is under scrutiny for these events by order of Judge Joaquín Gadea.
The forensic team concluded, at the start of the month, that Kanjaa may have been experiencing a psychotic episode at the time of the attack. The report describes an acute psychotic decompensation with marked emotional and behavioral involvement, according to sources familiar with the case.
Psychiatrists have stated that such a condition could profoundly affect the suspect’s intellectual and volitional faculties, possibly impairing judgment and self-control in a significant way.
For Kanjaa’s defense, the implication is that this assessment should inform the evaluation of imputability, potentially supporting the argument that the act was not terrorism-driven. This could influence considerations of criminal liability or exemption at trial, depending on how imputability is interpreted in the context of a psychiatric condition.
The judge is awaiting a third forensic report, prepared at the request of the defense, which will be the latest independent input into the case. Meanwhile, a decision remains pending on whether to grant the room requested by the prosecutor’s office, a provision suggested by the sacristan’s family who lost their life in the attack, and who seek further examination by additional forensic experts.
The initial interim assessment, submitted last March by two experts from the National Court, suggested the possibility of a delusional disorder and strongly recommended admission to a psychiatric unit affiliated with the Penitentiary Institutions. Subsequent notes from Againdoctors emphasized the provisional nature of the findings and stressed the need for ongoing evaluation of Kanjaa.
According to the sources consulted, the most recent report, submitted in this case, aims to provide a more precise understanding of the individual’s mental state and to complement the earlier evaluations. The evolving nature of the medical opinions reflects the complexity of determining how mental health intersects with criminal responsibility in this high-profile case, which continues to unfold as new forensic insights emerge [attribution: El Independiente; EFE].