“It doesn't work at all, that's my experience”: Swedish forensic interviewers' views on interpreter-mediated child interviews

Abstract

BackgroundLegal practitioners have expressed concerns regarding the quality of interpreter-mediated forensic interviews with child witnesses. ObjectiveThis mixed-methods study aimed to examine Swedish forensic interviewers' experiences of conducting child interviews via a language interpreter. Participants and settingForty-one forensic interviewers from the Swedish Police Authority with experience conducting interpreter-mediated child interviews participated in a digital survey. MethodsTheir responses were analyzed using both qualitative (thematic and content analyses) and quantitative (descriptive and inferential statistics) approaches. ResultsThe forensic interviewers' general experiences of conducting interpreter-mediated child interviews were negative. Limited access to authorized legal interpreters and doubts regarding the accuracy of interpretation were described as major obstacles in these investigations. The presence of an interpreter could negatively impact children's disclosure process and limit their chances of expressing their views during legal proceedings. ConclusionsAccording to Swedish forensic interviewers, the quality of interpreter-mediated child interviews urgently needs to be addressed. Our results are consistent with previous surveys from Australia and the United States, highlighting the international relevance of these topics. Future improvements are vital to ensure that all children are provided an equal right to be heard during criminal investigations, regardless of the native language.