Original scientific paper
Interviewers suggestive questions during investigative interview
Lana Milivojević
; Visoka policijska škola, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Abstract
Lana Milivojević
Interviewers suggestive questions during investigative interview
From the criminalistics aspect, the paper considers suggestive questions as negative suggestive influences
during conducted investigative interviews with witnesses of events - crimes and misdemeanours on
a sample of 30 recordings. Investigative interviews for the purposes of this research were conducted
between students of the Police College in Zagreb, Croatia as interviewers and as interviewed witnesses
of events – crimes and misdemeanours.
Before conducting the investigative interviews, the interviewers gained theoretical knowledge’s about
the correct tactics for conducting such interview and the importance of avoiding suggestive influences
during investigative interview was stressed.
Despite the expectations that in investigative interviews with witnesses’ interviewers will not ask
suggestive questions or that they will ask such questions extremely rarely, the results of this research
showed that such questions were asked despite previous interviewers’ theoretical education about
investigative interview tactics and instructions aimed to avoid suggestive impacts.
Research results showed that in most of the analysed recordings, suggestive questions (and in very
small number captious questions) were asked in the questioning phase of the investigative interview.
Suggestive questions were asked by interviewers of both sexes, of which, according to the way they
were formulated (subtypes), there were mostly closed questions with two offered answer options.
In addition to the research results, this paper also provides few examples of suggestive (and captious)
questions asked during recorded investigative interviews.
Keywords
investigative interview, criminalistics tactics, suggestibility, negative suggestive influence,
Hrčak ID:
271324
URI
Publication date:
3.3.2022.
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