Key points
An ‘Investigative Interview’ is a formal,planned interview with a child, carried out by staff trained and competent to conduct it, for the purposes of gaining the child’s account of events (if any) which require investigation
How to do it
Police and social work will:
- Identify practitioners to carry out the joint investigative interview
- Agree the arrangements for the interview (time/date, location and parameters)
In preparation for the conduct of the interview :
- These practitioners will be afforded time together to plan their approach
- Pre-interview planning will be recorded and both agencies will keep records identifying decisions made, by whom and the reasons for them.
Lessons from Research
Most children are seriously affected by the prospect of going to court whatever their age or the type of offence and whether they are a victim or not, with over 80% of them reporting pre trial stress. Young witnesses who had given evidence, whether supported or not, found it equally difficult to deal with both the content and the style of questioning, with 80% reporting a problem of some kind and 48% who said they did not understand the questions.
There are valuable benefits when young witnesses are offered support before their court appearance, for many it is a significant factor in helping them to attend court in the first place.
Office for Criminal Justice Reform; ‘Improving the Criminal Trial Process for Young Witnesses’ A Consultation Paper June 2007
http://www.justice.gov.uk/docs/cjr-consult-young-witnesses.pdf
