Oral Presentation: Interpreted investigative interviews with children – do they impact Swedish court proceedings?

Title: Interpreted investigative interviews with children – do they impact Swedish court proceedings?

Abstract:

The investigative interview often constitutes vital evidence in child abuse investigations. In the past decades, countries across the globe have implemented evidence-based guidelines in investigative interviews with children. Recent research has found that the quality of interviews with one group of children, namely those interviewed via an interpreter, is cause for concern. In Sweden, approximately twenty percent of the population was born abroad. Further, according to estimates, thirty percent of school-aged children do not speak Swedish in their homes. Hence, an interpreter may be necessary during the investigative interview if the child does not speak sufficient Swedish. Professionals conducting interpreted child interviews express concerns that the interpreter might have a limited understanding of best-practice child interviewing. However, it is, to date, unknown if the child’s interview being interpreted affects the court’s assessment of the statement. Hence, the current study aims to investigate if, and, in that case, how the presence or absence of an interpreter during the investigative interview affects the courts’ assessment of children’s testimony. Data from 81 court cases will be analyzed, and the results will be presented in light of current knowledge on interpreters in the legal setting.