International Developments and Practices in Investigative Interviewing and Interrogation : Victims and Witnesses

Techniques in the investigative interviewing and interrogation of victims, witnesses and suspects of crime vary around the world, according to a country’s individual legal system, religion and culture. Whereas some countries have developed certain interview protocols for witnesses (such as the ABE Guidelines and the NICHD protocol when interviewing children) and the PEACE model of interviewing suspects, other countries continue to use physical coercion and other questionable tactics to elicit information.

Until now, there has been very little empirical information about the overall interview and interrogation practices in non-western countries, especially the Middle and Far East. This book addresses this gap, bringing together international experts from over 25 countries and providing in-depth coverage of the various interview and interrogation techniques used across the globe. Volume 1 focuses on the interviewing of victims and witnesses, aiming to provide the necessary information for an understanding of how law enforcement agencies around the world gain valuable information from victims and witnesses in criminal cases. Together, the chapters that make up this volume and the accompanying volume on interviewing suspects, draw on specific national case studies and practices, examine contemporary challenges and identify best practice to enable readers to develop an international, as well as a comparative, perspective of developments worldwide in this important area of criminal investigation.

This book will be an essential resource for academics and students engaged in the study of policing, criminal investigation, forensic psychology and criminal law. It will also be of great interest to practitioners, legal professionals and policymakers around the world.

David Walsh is an Applied Criminologist, and a Fellow of the UK’s Higher Education Academy. He has published several articles and book chapters, while co-authoring a book on corruption. Prior to joining academia he was an investigation professional in government departments in the UK for over 20 years. Dr Walsh has presented his work at many national and international academic and practitioner conferences.

Gavin E. Oxburgh is a registered Forensic Psychologist with the UK Health and Care Professions Council, a Chartered Psychologist and Scientist, and a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy. Dr Oxburgh is an expert witness and has provided psychological advice in legal cases in the UK and overseas. Prior to academia, he had a highly successful 22-year career with the Royal Air Force Police where he was a senior detective specialising in crime management, child protection and sexual offences, serving throughout the UK and across Europe.

Allison D. Redlich, PhD, is an internationally-known researcher on police interrogation, who began her career studying child victim/witnesses. She has published many peer-reviewed articles on these and related topics and is often asked to provide expert testimony in court and to educate law enforcement and court professionals. She has served on the Executive Committee of the American Psychology-Law Society and is co-chairing their 2014 conference.

Trond Myklebust gained his bachelor degree from the University of Oslo and an MSc in Investigative Psychology from the University of Liverpool while serving as a police officer. In 2009 he became the first police officer in Norway to obtain a PhD (Department of Psychology, University of Oslo). He holds a position as Assistant Chief of Police at the Norwegian Police University College, and a Visiting Lectureship at Newcastle University in the UK. He is a Chartered Psychologist in the British Psychological Society, and Co-Founder and Co-Director of the International Investigative Interviewing Research Group (iIIRG).