Psychiatrist Petr Bém has emphasized the critical importance of taking allegations of abuse made by individuals with intellectual disabilities seriously, following an examination of Lukáš Bertík, a man convicted of severely abusing a young girl.
bertík, currently serving a 14-year sentence, underwent a psychiatric evaluation at the request of his defense team to determine if his intellectual capacity impacted his understanding of the abuse.Bém’s assessment, detailed in a report submitted to the court, concluded that while Bertík exhibits limitations in cognitive function, he possessed the capacity to understand the nature and consequences of his actions. The psychiatrist stressed that Bertík’s statements regarding the abuse, even if possibly influenced by his cognitive state, should not be dismissed. “Words about abuse must be taken seriously,” Bém stated, highlighting the vulnerability of victims and the need for thorough investigation, irrespective of the perpetrator’s intellectual abilities.
The case gained renewed attention following reporting by the Czech news outlet List of News (“Ve stínu” – in the Shadows), which focuses on investigations into areas often overlooked by mainstream media. The reporting team, lead by Jiří Kubík with direction, sound, and editing by Zdeněk Chaloupka, and editors Jana mičová and Jiří Marek, investigated the circumstances surrounding Bertík’s conviction and the subsequent psychiatric evaluation. Sound design was provided by David Kaiser.
The List of News team encourages readers to submit observations, comments, and ideas for future investigations to vestinu@sz.cz.
