Eyewitness Identification of Multiple Perpetrators

Abstract

Following a question raised by members of a police force in England and Wales regarding the accuracy with which an eyewitness makes an identification of multiple perpetrators, this study explores presenting the line-ups in a novel way to eyewitnesses. Currently, there is little previous research into the accuracy of eyewitness identifications when witnesses have viewed multiple perpetrators for one crime event. With reference to theories of source monitoring, the novel procedure examines whether presenting all video line-up parades one after another before making any identification decisions increases accuracy compared with current police procedures in the UK. Furthermore, this study investigated whether instructing witnesses, prior to viewing the line-up parades, to identify the role that each perpetrator played in the event increased identification performance. Results reveal that overall total accuracy was affected by presentation style and, when instructed to, witnesses were more accurate at identifying the role that each perpetrator played in the crime. Future research needs to explore these techniques in more depth both in a laboratory and operational setting.