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Home Office

Answer

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether an assessment has been made of how suggestive interviewing, or the use of the recovered memories can lead to false allegations of sex offences against individuals. [196640] Paul Goggins: The Home Office has not made a formal assessment of, or conducted research into whether suggestive interviewing or the use of recovered memories can lead to false allegations of sexual offences. The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) National Investigative Interviewing Strategic Steering Group has developed and delivered a dynamic interview strategy which includes a Practical Guide to Investigative Interviewing 2004. Amongst other things, this highlights the dangers of suggestive interviewing. The Investigative Interviewing Strategy underpins training on effective interviewing for police of all levels, including specialist interviewers who are employed in cases involving traumatised victims or witnesses. Complementary guidance on interviewing vulnerable or intimidated witnesses, which includes victims of sexual offences, is contained in "Achieving Best Evidence in Criminal Proceedings: Guidance for Vulnerable or Intimidated Witnesses, including Children" issued in January 2002. This guidance became operational in May 2002 when it superseded "Memorandum of Good Practice on Video Recorded Interviews with Child Witnesses for Criminal Proceedings". Achieving Best Evidence contains comprehensive guidance on planning and conducting interviews with vulnerable or intimidated witnesses and includes sections on style, content and types of questions. This guidance document was produced as a result of a wider assessment by an interdepartmental working group of the treatment of vulnerable or intimidated witnesses, including the victims of sexual offences, in the criminal justice system. The working group's findings and recommendations were published in the Speaking Up For Justice report (Home Office, 1998).

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

426 c1139W;426 c1143W; 196640

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Children Criminal proceedings Interviews Sexual offences Witnesses Victims

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk