cri 176 m4

• Interview


  Simple questioning of a person believed to possess information relevant to the investigation of a crime or criminal activities, where the interviewee is willing and cooperative
• General kinds of interview

  • Cognitive interview
  • Question and answer
• Cognitive interview


  • Conducted with willing and cooperative witnesses, who are given the full opportunity to narrate their accounts without intervention, interruption and interference from the interviewer
  • After the subject finishes their narration, the investigator subjects them to direct examination and cross-examination to clarify unexplained portions and arrive at a vivid and complete picture of the testimony
• Question and answer interview


  • Interviewee is required to answer the questions posed by the investigator
  • In the case of subjects of low intelligence, the use of leading questions greatly helps the investigator to obtain the full desired information
• "Never allow the interviewer to conduct nor let anyone conduct an interview without prior visit to the crime scene." The questioning should agree with the facts and conditions at the crime scene.
• Qualities of a good interviewer


  • Rapport - Winning the confidence of the interviewee to get them to provide all the information in their possession
  • Forceful personality - Appearance, communication skills, and strength of character without arrogance or vulgarity
  • Knowledge of psychology/psychiatry - To determine the personality and intelligence of the subject
  • Conversational tone of voice - Not confrontational as in interrogation
  • Acting qualities - To convince the person to disclose what they know
  • Humility - Courteous, sympathetic, and humble, ready to apologise for any inconvenience
• Rules in questioning

  • One question at a time
  • Avoid implied answers - Answers must be oral, clear, explicit and responsive
  • Simplicity of question - Short, simple questions, allowing qualification if needed
  • Saving face - Avoid embarrassing questions on exaggerations or honest errors
  • Avoid yes/no answers - To allow complete flow of information
• Interrogation


  Vigorous confrontational questioning of a reluctant suspect about their participation in the commission of a crime, placing the guilt on the accused
• Techniques of interrogation

  • Emotional appeal
  • Sympathetic approach
  • Friendliness
  • Trick and bluff techniques
  • Stern approach
  • Mutt and Jeff or sweet and sour method
  • Removing ethnic or cultural barrier
  • Searching for the soft spot
• Emotional appeal technique

  • Applicable to first time offenders or those with emotional characteristics, using an emotional appeal to confess
• Sympathetic approach technique

  • Investigator digs into the suspect's past troubles, plight and unfortunate events, offering help and kindness to win their cooperation
• Friendliness technique


  • A friendly approach coupled with sincerity may induce the suspect to confess
• Trick and bluff techniques

  • Pretenses of solid evidence
  • Weakest link - Telling the weakest suspect their companions have confessed
  • Drama - Creating a commotion to make other suspects think a partner has confessed
  • Feigning contact with family members
  • Line up - Coaching witnesses to identify the suspect
  • Reverse line up - Identifying the suspect in multiple crimes to make them confess
• Stern approach techniques

  • Jolting - Shouting a pertinent question at the right moment
  • Opportunity to lie - Repeatedly questioning the suspect about their personal life, activities, and knowledge of the crime to expose contradictions
  • Projection - Putting blame on other persons
  • Minimization - Convincing the suspect a confession will reduce the offense and penalty
• Mutt and Jeff or sweet and sour method


  • First set of investigators appear rough and mean, then second investigator is sympathetic and understanding
• Removing ethnic or cultural barrier

  • Interrogating the suspect in their own language/dialect and using an investigator of the same ethnic/cultural background to gain their trust and confidence
• Soft spot


  Every person has a softest spot in their heart that can be searched for during interrogation