I am delighted to introduce myself as the new co-director of iIIRG. My name is Susanne H. Flølo, and I am humbled and honored to take on this role. I greatly appreciate the warm and encouraging welcome from Gary and Chris, and the rest of the iIIRG Executive Committee. I am deeply honored by your trust in me and excited to begin this journey with all of you.
A bit about my background: I am a Senior Rule of Law Adviser at the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights (NCHR), part of the University of Oslo, Faculty of Law. My specialization lies in the Theory and Practice of Human Rights, and I have dedicated my professional career to the field of investigative interviewing.
My work at NCHR includes leading initiatives in Thailand and collaborating with Ukrainian partners on the project ‘Investigative Interviewing in Ukraine: Upholding Human Rights in Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Governance.’ In my daily work I also collaborate closely with UN Police (UNPOL) and the UN Department of Pace Operations (DPO) and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to promote evidence-based and human rights-compliant investigative practices. I’ve had the opportunity to contribute to significant projects such as the UN Manual on Investigative Interviewing for Criminal Investigation and the UNODC eLearning on Investigative Interviewing, alongside experts like Dr. Ivar Fahsing and colleagues at NCHR.
I am also privileged to be a member of the Steering Committee for the Principles on Effective Interviewing for Investigations and Information Gathering (the Méndez Principles) and the EU-funded COST action “ImpleMéndez”.
Beyond my academic pursuits, I have contributed as an expert member of the the Norwegian Mission to the United Nations in Vienna during the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ), and the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime (UNTOC COP).
I believe my primary strength as co-director will be in fostering collaboration—bringing academics and practitioners together, building on the incredible work of our members, and driving our collective mission forward. My vision for iIIRG includes expanding our membership, enhancing engagement across sectors, developing strategic global partnerships, and advocating for the remarkable work being done by our network.
I am truly excited about the opportunity to work with such a dedicated and innovative community. Thank you for welcoming me, and I look forward to contributing to the ongoing success and growth of iIIRG.
Also, please welcome Prof. Nadine Deslauriers-Varin as the new co-chair of the Scientific Committee! Nadine will be working with Prof. Rachel Wilcock to promote the research on investigative interviewing best practices. Stay tuned for exciting announcements from the Scientific Committee!
The University of Portsmouth is a global employer of choice where exceptional people create, share and apply knowledge that makes a difference.
Experience the pride of being part of a select group – one of only four universities in the south-east of England to achieve a prestigious Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework. Additionally, we proudly rank among the top 140 universities globally in the Times Higher Young University World Rankings.
Ambition, Responsibility and Openness drive our every endeavour. Join our esteemed institution with a proven track record of success, and where dedication to excellence is key. We want people to make their mark in a professional community that truly values people, innovation, and achievement.
The Role:
We seek to recruit a Research Fellow based in the Hope Applied Cognition lab within the School of Psychology, Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Portsmouth. The successful candidate, working under the supervision of Professor Lorraine Hope, will take up the post of Research Fellow in Psychology in Psychology to work on a funded project examining information elicitation in time-sensitive interactions. This post is funded for 12 months in the first instance with the possibility of extension to a further 12 months. Please note that the extension is not guaranteed.
Please note that a Senior Research Associate position is also being advertised, however, only one appointment will be made. It is recommended that you apply for the role most suitable to your experience. Should you have any questions, please contact Prof Hope on the email address below.
Funded by the FBI/High Value Detainee Interrogation Group (HIG), the goal of this programme of research is to further develop optimal information elicitation techniques for use in time-sensitive scenarios. This research will incorporate the use of immersive scenarios to assess a targeted rapport-based protocol for getting information quickly in challenging operational contexts. The successful candidate will have relevant research experience pertaining to investigative interviewing, memory and/or applied cognition.
The successful candidate will hold an MSC and PhD in Psychology (or equivalent experience) and will be knowledgeable about design of experimental research with application to interviewing, familiar with contemporary interviewing techniques, and confident across key research tasks including participant recruitment, data collection, coding, analyses and writing. The successful candidate will also be committed to Open Science practices.
We seek a highly motivated, conscientious, and collegial individual with excellent project management, research and interpersonal skills who is able to communicate clearly and progress overlapping projects in an effective and timely manner.
The University of Portsmouth embraces diversity and we positively encourage applicants from all sections of the community, in particular from under-represented groups.
Informal enquiries are strongly encouraged and should be made to Professor Lorraine Hope by email: Lorraine.Hope@port.ac.uk.
Interviews are anticipated to be held on 4 November 2024.
This is a fixed-term appointment to 30 September 2025.
For internal candidates it may be possible to apply for this role under the Secondment Policy . If you wish to apply as a secondee, you must have approval of your line manager in advance of submitting your application form. Please confirm in your application that your line manager has approved this.
Discover the advantages of joining our university. We offer a range of attractive benefits and opportunities to enhance your work experience:
Competitive salary, including incremental progression within your scale.
Generous pension scheme.
Generous leave entitlement of 32–35 days a year, plus bank holidays, and an additional Christmas closure.
The perks don’t stop there – click ‘apply’ for further information on My Reward and Benefits
UKVI Statement
Prior to submitting your application, kindly ensure that you can either demonstrate or acquire the necessary right to work in the UK. If you currently do not possess the right to work in the UK, please be aware that our offer of employment is conditional upon you obtaining it.
ED&I Statement:
We are strongly dedicated to embedding equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) within our community. As an Athena SWAN and Race Equality Charter award holder, a member of Stonewall and a Disability Confident Employer we are passionate about creating a welcoming and inclusive environment, regardless of your background. We welcome applications from all talented people. In addition, we want our workforce to be representative of our diverse student population. Please see our EDI Framework and objectives.
Please note that this vacancy may be closed earlier than advertised, so early applications are advised.
Experience the pride of being part of a select group – one of only four universities in the south-east of England to achieve a prestigious Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework. Additionally, we proudly rank among the top 140 universities globally in the Times Higher Young University World Rankings.
Ambition, Responsibility and Openness drive our every endeavour. Join our esteemed institution with a proven track record of success, and where dedication to excellence is key. We want people to make their mark in a professional community that truly values people, innovation, and achievement.
The Role:
We seek to recruit a Senior Research Associate based in the Hope Applied Cognition lab within the School of Psychology, Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Portsmouth. The successful candidate, working under the supervision of Professor Lorraine Hope, will take up the post of Senior Research Associate in Psychology in Psychology to work on a funded project examining information elicitation in time-sensitive interactions. This post is funded for 12 months in the first instance with the possibility of extension to a further 12 months. Please note that the extension is not guaranteed.
Please note that a Research Fellow position is also being advertised, however, only one appointment will be made. It is recommended that you apply for the role most suitable to your experience. Should you have any questions, please contact Prof Hope on the email address below.
Funded by the FBI/High Value Detainee Interrogation Group (HIG), the goal of this programme of research is to further develop optimal information elicitation techniques for use in time-sensitive scenarios. This research will incorporate the use of immersive scenarios to assess a targeted rapport-based protocol for getting information quickly in challenging operational contexts. The successful candidate will have relevant research experience pertaining to investigative interviewing, memory and/or applied cognition.
The successful candidate will hold an MSC and PhD in Psychology (or equivalent experience) and will be knowledgeable about design of experimental research with application to interviewing, familiar with contemporary interviewing techniques, and confident across key research tasks including participant recruitment, data collection, coding, analyses and writing. The successful candidate will also be committed to Open Science practices.
We seek a highly motivated, conscientious, and collegial individual with excellent project management, research and interpersonal skills who is able to communicate clearly and progress overlapping projects in an effective and timely manner.
The University of Portsmouth embraces diversity and we positively encourage applicants from all sections of the community, in particular from under-represented groups.
Informal enquiries are strongly encouraged and should be made to Professor Lorraine Hope by email: Lorraine.Hope@port.ac.uk.
Interviews are anticipated to be held on 4 November 2024.
This is a fixed-term appointment to 30 September 2025.
For internal candidates it may be possible to apply for this role under the Secondment Policy . If you wish to apply as a secondee, you must have approval of your line manager in advance of submitting your application form. Please confirm in your application that your line manager has approved this.
Discover the advantages of joining our university. We offer a range of attractive benefits and opportunities to enhance your work experience:
Competitive salary, including incremental progression within your scale.
Generous pension scheme.
Generous leave entitlement of 32–35 days a year, plus bank holidays, and an additional Christmas closure.
The perks don’t stop there – click ‘apply’ for further information on My Reward and Benefits
UKVI Statement
Prior to submitting your application, kindly ensure that you can either demonstrate or acquire the necessary right to work in the UK. If you currently do not possess the right to work in the UK, please be aware that our offer of employment is conditional upon you obtaining it.
ED&I Statement:
We are strongly dedicated to embedding equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) within our community. As an Athena SWAN and Race Equality Charter award holder, a member of Stonewall and a Disability Confident Employer we are passionate about creating a welcoming and inclusive environment, regardless of your background. We welcome applications from all talented people. In addition, we want our workforce to be representative of our diverse student population. Please see our EDI Framework and objectives.
Please note that this vacancy may be closed earlier than advertised, so early applications are advised.
1. Please describe your work and how investigative interviewing is involved.
I was a police officer for 30 years in the UK, where my main role was an interview adviser and detective sergeant on a major crime team in homicide investigations, conducting high stake investigations. I largely managed the interviews, so when I retired it was more about taking that skill base into the commercial world and looking at how I could improve the interviewing of corporate bodies (e.g., anti-corruption agencies, federal police etc.). My world now is to take what I learnt over that period of time, develop training packages and train professionals how to apply PEACE model techniques in their working environment. So it’s taking the police service world into the private world. I design and deliver courses across the world and provide consultancy to forces in relation to interview management in high stake investigations.
2. Was there any particular work/person that inspired you to get involved in this area? If so, what/who?
I conducted an investigation in 1993 into a serial paedophile, and when I interviewed him as part of the investigation it was clear to me he had more knowledge of the offending mechanism than I had as the investigator trying to interview him. Even though it was a very successful investigation, I walked away from that with the feeling of, ‘did we really do a good job, or did we just get lucky?’ And I met a guy called Ray Wyre, who’s no longer with us sadly. He was an expert in relation to the interviewing of sex offenders and he opened my eyes and thought processes to how we could, as investigators, apply the science of interviewing in a practical setting. He had dedicated his life to understanding the mindset of the offender in order to ask them appropriate questions. At a time when the police service was not very receptive to the thoughts of academics, Ray and his book, ‘The Murder of Childhood,’ changed my view and inspired me to understand the science of interviewing, and how we can apply it in a practical setting.
3. How did you get involved in your area of work?
I originally got involved in the interviewing of children and offenders as far back as 1988. It was at a time when there was a lot of child protection inquiries going on in the UK, so I was posted into vice squad of Cardiff and became a child interviewer overnight. When I went back into mainstream criminal investigations, I was deemed the expert in child interviewing (without any formal training yet!). It was really by accident that I became involved because I had applied for the traffic department, but I was posted to vice, and my head of the division said at the time “you’re not going to go to traffics long as I’m in charge of the division,” and that changed my entire career. It was as simple as that.
4. What advice would you give to students hoping to work in your field?
I would certainly say to students from an academic background, if possible and wherever possible, get involved with the local police force so that you can understand what they do on a day-to-day basis. That will inform any questions or research hypotheses you have in your particular areas. When conducting research, it gives you the connections whereby you can pick up the phone and ask what results mean or how they fit into people’s line of work; it helps to make sense of those results. It can also help you to develop research that is relevant, dynamic and current, and not just regurgitating old laboratory findings. As an academic, it’s great to be able to do your research, get your qualification, put a nice shiny book on a shelf, great! But unless you do something with your research on a practical level, what is the benefit of it? If you don’t understand how you can benefit the workplace, there is something lost in the research.
And on the flip side of that is almost an identical approach for the cops to understand what the academics are doing and where academic-based research can assist their working practices, develop their thought processes, give them a point of contact to see what’s current, to network, and to use them as a sounding board. It doesn’t mean to say that academics need to be police officers and doesn’t mean to say that police officers need to be academics; the two fields need to be brought together in order to promote best practice. That is critical.
5. What is the work that you are most proud of?
I came into academia late into life; I left school with nothing, could hardly write my name! My inspiration to achieving academics is down to my wife. When we met 20 years ago, she had all her academics, she was a child protection specialist and she encouraged me to complete my studies. I now have a post graduate diploma in child forensic psychology and law, a BA in education, post graduate certificate in adult education, a masters in investigation management and now I’m a PhD candidate. And I keep saying to people I left school with nothing, I was just a dull boy from the valley of Wales, and if I can achieve that, and work 16/17 hours a day I’m quite proud of that. As a father and a husband, I couldn’t have done any of that without the support of my wife. And that’s the truth, and that’s what I’m most proud of in that sense.
I think my greatest achievement from a policing perspective was basically working my way to the top of the interviewing structure within the police service, to be recognized as an interview adviser both locally, regionally and nationally. I met Kerry Marlow who was the interview adviser for the Welsh region, and he encouraged me to take over. So that’s what I aspired to do and that’s what I achieved. He and I are the only two people to be regional interview advisers for Wales; he was proud of being the first Welsh interview adviser and I’m also quite proud of what I achieved in that area. I’m also proud about bringing academics into the police force to be able to reach the top in my given field. No matter what your field is, whether it be community policing, traffic policing, search teams, it makes no difference; if you can apply yourself and walk away from that saying “I did my best and I was the best in my field”, then I think that’s an achievement.
6. What are the best and worst aspects of your job?
I think the worst part is dealing with some of the stuff that I’ve dealt with over the years without professional support—having to rely on close friends and family in order to support you through some of those difficult investigations. Coming home after 16 hour shifts, listening to people telling you the most horrendous stuff can be quite draining and emotional, and if you haven’t got good support mechanisms then it would drive you potty.
The best aspect is meeting the some amazing people that I’ve met over the years, people who deal with quite a lot of stressful situations but they work with humility and professionalism. From all walks of life, I’ve met some really dedicated people over the world who are doing the best in their field. And for me it was always about trying to do the best, not necessarily being the best but doing the best. I get really pleased for people who are doing their personal best. I think if you enjoy and you’re passionate about what you’re doing, it will reflect in your work. If I ever stop being passionate about what I’m doing then I’ll just take a job in my local supermarket.
7. Are you currently recruiting new PhD/post-docs? 6. Are you interested in student research collaboration? If so, on what subjects and what is the best way of getting in touch with you?
Goldsmiths University Forensic Psychology Unit are holding a fascinating event of interest to all iIIRG members who are encouraged to attend
The screening and Q&A will take place on
Friday 6th December 2019 between 18:30 – 22:00
With special guests Mark Fallon, Gavin Oxburgh, Dimitrios Giannoulopoulos and Jo Kenrick all of whom will be taking questions from the audience
The event will take place at LG02, Professor Stuart Hall BuildingGoldsmiths, University of London Lewisham Way London SE14 6NW Further details can be found online at:
Title: An educational video to guide child witness interviewers and interpreters
Description:
This research project was funded in 2019 by the iIIRG Networking Grants.
This project developed an educational video (the Interpreting Children’s Voices) aiming to support the high demand for interpretation services in investigative interviews. A new collaboration between Dr. Marilena Kyriakidou (Sheffield Hallam University, England) and Drs. Dekens Karina (the Police Academy, Netherlands) first, reviewed police guidelines on how best to interview children with interpreters, and second, gained feedback on the video narrative from police forces and forensic interpreters’ services from three countries (Cyprus, England, Netherlands).
We are hoping the video will support police and interpreters’ training as a complementary material. Police forces can play the video to interpreters and interviewers before gaining an interview to remind them the basic principles of their collaboration.
My name is Chandra Byatt and I am a Newcastle University student currently completing my MSc in Forensic Psychology looking for participants for my dissertation study. My study is examining differing opinions on what makes a ‘good quality’ investigative interview. I am in need of participants from England and Wales who work either with the police force or within criminal law. As a participant you will be asked to complete an online questionnaire (approx 15-20 minutes) giving anonymous answers surrounding what in your opinion makes a good investigative interview and which, if any, of the 5 interview transcripts provided are of good quality and why. The aim of the study is to gain information on the English and Welsh investigative interview system from the perspective of legal professionals in an attempt to better the interviewing process in future.
Chandra is looking for participants to complete the survey by the 5th August.
Dr Laura Farrugia is guest editing a special issue of the International Journal of Law and Society focusing on Vulnerability in the Criminal Justice System. The call for papers is now open and practitioners and academics are encouraged to submit any relevant work.
