I hate the word 'evil'. and am HIGHLY suspicious of any 'expert' who uses it.

I once had to explain to a High Court judge that my client was not, in fact, evil. Evil is a theological concept. It has no diagnostic criteria. You cannot measure it, treat it, or meaningfully define it. The judge looked at me like I'd turned up at a wake and started critiquing the sausage rolls.

I wasn't being difficult. I was being precise. Words matter enormously in forensic psychology. The wrong word in the wrong room can put someone away for the wrong reason, or shift attention to the wrong place. Next time someone tells you a criminal is "just evil," ask them what that actually means.