Lewis J W
University of California, School of Law, Department of Psychology, Los Angeles 90024.
Arch Sex Behav. 1990 Oct;19(5):425-41. doi: 10.1007/BF02442346.
Premenstrual syndrome may be effective as an affirmative defense to a criminal charge if the defendant can show that (i) she was suffering from premenstrual syndrome at the time the crime was committed; and (ii) because of her condition, either that the criminal act was an involuntary act or that at the time of the criminal act she did not possess the mental state required by law for the commission of a crime. Premenstrual syndrome has been successfully pleaded as a criminal defense in Great Britain but has not been tested in American criminal courts. It may now be possible, however, because of the increase of behavioral, psychological, and physiological studies precisely characterizing premenstrual syndrome and elucidating the necessary criteria for its accurate diagnosis, for the appropriate defendant to assert this defense in an American court. This paper discusses (i) the use of recent scientific data to demonstrate the existence of premenstrual syndrome; (ii) the use of standardized psychological tests or physiological assays to demonstrate that the defendant suffers from premenstrual syndrome; and, (iii) the legal choices to be made and evidentiary hurdles that must be overcome in presenting a premenstrual syndrome defense.
如果被告能够证明以下两点，经前综合症可作为刑事指控的一项积极抗辩理由：（i）她在犯罪行为发生时患有经前综合症；以及（ii）由于她的病情，犯罪行为要么是不由自主的行为，要么是在犯罪行为发生时她不具备法律要求的实施犯罪所需的心理状态。经前综合症在英国已成功作为刑事辩护提出，但尚未在美国刑事法庭上接受检验。然而，由于行为学、心理学和生理学研究的增加，准确地描述了经前综合症并阐明了其准确诊断的必要标准，现在合适的被告有可能在美国法庭上提出这一抗辩。本文讨论了：（i）利用最新科学数据证明经前综合症的存在；（ii）使用标准化心理测试或生理检测来证明被告患有经前综合症；以及（iii）在提出经前综合症抗辩时必须做出的法律选择和必须克服的证据障碍。
