The phased approach to the investigative interviewing of children

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When investigating cases of alleged or suspected child sexual or physical abuse the evidence provided by the child has become central to the whole process. The fact that conviction rates, as the outcome of prosecutions, indicate that the Criminal Justice process is less successful for younger children and in situations where there is no physical evidence, indicates the importance of the evidence contained in the child's testimony (De San Lazaro, 1996). It has become the case that ‘the child interview’ is the cornerstone of the investigation (Pence and Wilson, 1994). Because so much emphasis is now placed on what the child says, the way they tell and the questioning that brings about their telling, great care must be taken to ensure that the account is not contaminated by adult influence.