Schmidt, Sibylle. Perpetrator’s Knowledge: What and How Can We Learn from Perpetrator Testimony?

In this article, philosopher Sibylle Schmidt calls critical attention to the perpetrator as witness (in addition to the established figures of the eyewitness and the victim or survivor witness). She argues that perpetrator testimony needs a critical reflection from both an epistemological and an ethical perspective that sets it apart from the other two types of testimony. Schmidt positions testimony as a social practice with three fundamental aspects, each of which are complicated and problematised in the case of perpetrator testimony: trust, truth, and authority. Testimony as a social practice demands a relationship of truth between testifier and hearer, which puts the hearer in a difficult position in the case of perpetrator testimony. However, Schmidt argues that trust does not preclude a critical attitude towards the testimony. She also calls for a distinction between external truth (perceptual knowledge) and internal truth (truth from experience), and furthermore suggests that perpetrator testimony is perhaps characterised by a lack or absence of the latter. Lastly, she argues that testimony calls for accreditation of the witness, which in the case of perpetrator testimony must be approached carefully in order to avoid discrediting the victims, and thus brings with it an ethical dilemma that warrants further attention and discussion. As a whole, this article gives a good overview of the issues involved in working with perpetrator testimony, which can form the basis for further critical thinking.

Author of this entry: Lotte van den Eertwegh

Schmidt, Sybille. “Perpetrator’s Knowledge: What and How Can We Learn from Perpetrator Testimony?” The Journal of Perpetrator Research, 2017, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 85-104.