Child Sexual Abuse
Victim Sensitive/Forensic Interviewing: (continued) Most importantly, this approach limits the number of times that a child is interviewed. Having multiple documented interviews undermines a case because every interview is admissible in court. This results in too much room being left for contradictions in testimony and for differences in the interpretations of team members. By conducting as few interviews as necessary, the investigative team is reducing the chance of the child’s credibility being impeached by an overzealous defense attorney seeking acquittal for his client.
Victim sensitive interviews are generally used for victims under 13 years of age, but can also be done with victims up to 17 years of age. The youngest age at which they can be conducted is dependent upon the individual child’s ability to understand and use language necessary for describing what happened to him or her. If the victim does not have this capability, the case is made using other evidence. Most expert interviewers do not interview children younger than 3 years of age.
