Police investigators’ perceptions of the challenges associated with interviewing adult sexual assault complainants Nina Westera, Mia Gentle, Martine Powell and Rachel Zajac
By: Westera, Nina
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Contributor(s): Gentle, Mia | Powell, Martine | Zajac, Rachel.
Material type: 
ArticleSeries: Violence Against Women.Publisher: Sage, 2022Subject(s): CRIMINAL JUSTICE | POLICE PROCEDURES | SEXUAL VIOLENCE | VICTIMS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE | NEW ZEALAND | INTERNATIONAL | AUSTRALIAOnline resources: DOI: 10.1177/10778012221120447
In:
Violence Against Women, 2022, First published online, 26 October 2022Summary: Although police organizations have devoted considerable effort to training investigators in evidence-based witness interviewing techniques, there is some suggestion that current practices do not meet the multifaceted requirements of sexual assault cases. Here, we assessed the specific challenges inherent in conducting interviews with adult sexual assault complainants, by conducting in-depth interviews with 21 experienced investigators from both Australia and New Zealand. The challenges that investigators identified fell into three broad themes: meeting the evidential needs of sexual assault investigations, establishing credibility, and managing complainant vulnerabilities. We discuss how the investigative interview process might be modified in line with these challenges. (Authors' abstract). Record #7902
Violence Against Women, 2022, First published online, 26 October 2022
Although police organizations have devoted considerable effort to training investigators in evidence-based witness interviewing techniques, there is some suggestion that current practices do not meet the multifaceted requirements of sexual assault cases. Here, we assessed the specific challenges inherent in conducting interviews with adult sexual assault complainants, by conducting in-depth interviews with 21 experienced investigators from both Australia and New Zealand. The challenges that investigators identified fell into three broad themes: meeting the evidential needs of sexual assault investigations, establishing credibility, and managing complainant vulnerabilities. We discuss how the investigative interview process might be modified in line with these challenges. (Authors' abstract). Record #7902