Telma Sousa Almeida

Prof. Dr. Telma Sousa Almeida is an Assistant Professor at Ispa – Instituto Universitário and a Researcher at the William James Centre for Research. She holds a degree in Psychology, a master’s in Psychology of Justice and Deviant Behaviour, and a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Cambridge. She also has postgraduate qualifications in Legal Medicine and Forensic Psychological Assessment, amongst others.
Her research focuses on the participation of vulnerable victims and witnesses in the justice system, with particular emphasis on how they are interviewed by professionals within the system. Her work has significantly enhanced to the understanding of eyewitness memory, especially in autistic children, and has contributed to the development of best practices in investigative interviewing.
For over 15 years, she has contributed to numerous research teams dedicated to the study of child abuse, forensic and developmental psychology, juvenile delinquency, peace psychology and human rights. Her scientific output includes publications in prestigious academic journals, contributions to books, and presentations at national and international conferences.
She currently leads the BEJUST project (“Breaking Barriers to Enhance Criminal Justice Interactions and Safeguards for ASD in Portugal”), funded by the La Caixa Foundation, which seeks to identify the challenges and barriers faced by professionals, as well as the gaps in the justice system’s interactions with neurodivergent individuals. This project promotes evidence-based solutions to create a more inclusive and effective justice system. Additionally, she supervises doctoral projects that focus on the interviewing of rape victims and young offenders. Her work contributes to the development of a comprehensive framework for training professionals in interview techniques, addressing the unique challenges of each context and promoting integrated, scientifically grounded, and ethically rigorous training strategies.
Furthermore, she is an active participant in the COST Action Implemendez (CA22128), co-leading the “Investigation, Interviewing, Interrogation” Working Group. She collaborates with international experts to implement the Méndez Principles, advocating for the ethical treatment of vulnerable individuals within the legal system. She is working to promote the enhancement of investigative interviewing practices in Portugal and Europe and contributing to the ongoing reform of forensic methodologies. She also serves as Director of the Forensic Office at the Ispa Clinic, where she provides scientific supervision and conducts Forensic Psychological Assessments.