An Evaluation of the Use of Videotaped Evidential Interviews in Child Abuse Investigations

Abstract

Since 1992, children who make complaints of sexual abuse are usually the subject of an investigative interview conducted by a police officer and social worker. The conduct of the interview is guided by the recommendations of the ‘Memorandum of Good Practice’ (Home Office and Department of Health, 1992). The interview is videotaped for possible later use at court. This permanent record allows the Crown Prosecution Service, and ultimately the judge, to decide whether the interview has been conducted in an appropriate manner and consequently whether the video will be admissible in court. This paper reports the first analysis of the content of a sample of those interviews, both in terms of their adherence to the ‘Memorandum of Good Practice’ guidelines and in terms of the quantity and quality of the information elicited from the child.