Two forensic psychology experts, Hanna Lahtinen from Finland and Telma Sousa Almeida from Portugal, met through the ImpleMéndez COST Action. Sharing a strong interest in interviewing vulnerable individuals, especially in relation to neurodiversity within the justice system context, they began exploring opportunities for collaboration.
The Erasmus+ Europe programme made it possible for Hanna Lahtinen to undertake a ten-day staff exchange visit to ISPA – Instituto Universitário in Lisbon. During her visit, she learned about the BEJUST project led by Telma in Portugal. BEJUST is a research initiative focused on improving the criminal justice system’s approach to autistic and other neurodivergent individuals. The project aims to identify communication barriers and develop better legal practices to ensure genuine equality and accessibility in the courts.
During her stay, Hanna Lahtinen also delivered a lecture at ISPA titled “Child Sexual Abuse Disclosure in the Digital Age: New Challenges.” Her lecture generated considerable interest among both academics and practitioners, attracting participants from different parts of Portugal, with around 30 attendees joining in person and a further 20 online. The event created a valuable space for discussion on vulnerable individuals and justice-related research.
The visit led to several plans for future collaboration between Portugal and Finland, including joint research and publications.