Expert Trial Reports

In Immigration Proceedings

Report on Factors Influencing Children and Youth Seeking Refuge in the United States

The Stanford Human Rights in Trauma Mental Health Program, in collaboration with the Bay Area Health-Legal Collaborative for Immigrant Families, has produced a Consensus Report on Factors Influencing the Decisions, Acts, and Behaviors of Children and Youth Seeking Refuge in the United States. This report is intended for attorneys and advocates for use in a range of immigration proceedings to inform adjudication and administrative processes. The report may be submitted, per user discretion, in relevant courts and hearings. The report reviews the developmental, psychological, and environmental factors that influence the conduct and behaviors of children and youth seeking refuge in the United States. The report reviews general considerations relevant for interpreting child and youth behavior, as well as specific factors and experiences that are particularly relevant for immigrant child and youth populations.  

To access the full report, please complete our brief Request for Access Survey here.

In the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia

Report on Trauma Effects on Psychology after the Khmer Rouge

The Program has undertaken an extensive analysis of the effects of trauma on survivors of the Khmer Rouge era and performed a comprehensive analysis of the public mental health system in the Kingdom of Cambodia. Our published findings were accepted as evidence in the ECCC and used to influence sentencing and reparations in Case 002/1. The book is available for the public: "Cambodia’s Hidden Scars: Trauma Mental Health in the Wake of the Khmer Rouge." Lab faculty Daryn Reicherter and Beth Van Schaack have updated the findings in a new volume, "Cambodia’s Hidden Scars: Trauma Psychology and the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia."  The Program’s affiliates also consolidated the findings into an expert report for use in Case 002/2.

In the International Criminal Court

Report on Sexual Violence in the Central African Republic

 The Program has collaborated with the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to examine and clarify the outcomes of crimes committed in the Central African Republic in the case of Prosecutor v. Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo, the first ICC case to focus exclusively on crimes of sexual and gender-based violence. The Prosecutor’s Office retained our Lab as a consultant for the production of an expert report and in-court testimony.  Dr. Daryn Reicherter testified before the ICC during the sentencing phase of this landmark case regarding violence against women. We are in discussions with the Office of the Prosecutor about broadening the scope of our collaboration to include data analysis and expert testimony in other cases and situations. 

For more information on ICC v Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo, please visit the ICC website. 

In United States Federal Court

Report on Understanding Mental Health Effects of Prolonged Isolation in U.S. Prisons

The Program completed an expert report with the Center for Constitutional Rights aimed at examining how the effects of prolonged isolation in “solitary confinement” on the mental health of inmates in California prisons affect the transition from isolation into the “general population.” This project aimed to collect known research on the topic and produce original information on the psychiatric changes produced by long-term isolation.  Ensuring an accurate understanding of the effects of prolonged isolation and solitary confinement on the human psyche will optimize the ability of courts and policymakers to address this important human rights topic. The expert report was filed in the case by CCR in their appeal to improve the conditions of their clients as they are transitioning from > 10 years of isolation into the “general prison population.”  A court decision is forthcoming.

Report on Supporting Civil Litigation in the U.S. under the Torture Victims Protection Act

The Program has been consulting with attorneys from the San Francisco-based Center for Justice and Accountability (CJA), who are challenging the immunity of persons now residing in the United States who have been deemed responsible for human rights violations abroad.  We are examining the mental health effects of torture in Somalia. These findings may be used by survivors making claims for damages caused by previous violations. More information on the cases CJA is pursuing can be found here.