Why the Color of the Underwear Matters. Interviewing the Child Abuse Victim and Suspect

Course overview

There is a harsh truth within law enforcement and child protection circles; few people are anxious to investigate Child Sexual Abuse cases. Most investigators feel ill at ease discussing sexual details with victims, witnesses or suspects. These uncomfortable details however, are often the foundation upon which an officer must build a case. The objective of this workshop is to provide investigators with interviewing strategies that can be used to elicit detailed information from both the child victim and in intra-familial cases, from the non- offending parent. The author is a Certified Forensic Child Interviewer, and this presentation is based upon research and his successful investigation of hundreds of Child Sexual Abuse files. Many participants will already have developed their own child interviewing style and one of the goals of this workshop is to provide attendees with additional techniques that may aid them in eliciting detailed information from child victims in a non-leading, nontraumatic. fashion. These often-overlooked details, such as the sequence and nature of the sexual acts, the phraseology used by the offender and the clothing worn by the victim and the suspect, allow the investigator to not only assess the credibility of the victim, but also provides the basic information necessary to tailor an effective plan for the later interview of the suspect. In intra-familial cases of Child Sexual Abuse, the partner/spouse of the offender is often a neglected, but invaluable source of information. We will explore interview techniques that can be useful in obtaining information about the familial relationship as well as the values, motivations, fears and sexual habits of the suspect. Attendees will then learn how to take the detailed information gleaned from both the child victim and the non-offending partner/spouse and use it to develop effective strategies for a comprehensive interview of the suspect. At the conclusion of this workshop, participants will leave with a better understanding of the value of obtaining details during the interviews of victims, witnesses and suspects.