A Study on Experiences of Family Members of Suspects with Intellectual Disabilities Participating in Criminal Proceedings

The objective of this study is to provide empirical evidence to support the development of practical interventions by examining the experiences of family members of suspects with intellectual disabilities within the criminal justice system. In-depth interviews were conducted with five family members who have participated in the criminal justice process involving an adult suspect with intellectual disabilities. The inductive analysis, of the qualitative data resulted in the identification of 18 meaning units, 7 subcategories, and 3 primary categories through thematic analysis. The three core categories identified were: The first category is 'Involvement in criminal incidents due to the characteristics of the person with intellectual disabilities,' The second category is 'Experiencing exclusion during the judicial process,' The third category is 'Shouldering the burden of dual responsibilities in resolving the incident and caregiving as a family member of a suspect with intellectual disabilities.' In light of these findings, we have proposed improvements to effectively safeguard the procedural rights of suspects with intellectual disabilities and alleviate the caregiving burden on family members.