The Impact of Question Type and Empathy on Police Interviews with Suspects of Homicide, Filicide and Child Sexual Abuse

Abstract

Conducting interviews with “high-stake” offenders, especially those accused of murder and sexual offences, represents a complex and emotive area of work for police officers. Using an English sample of 59 actual police interviews, the effects of empathy and question type on the amount of investigation-relevant information obtained from interviews with suspects of child murder, child sex offences and adult murder were analysed and compared. No direct effects of empathy on the amount of information elicited were found. However, in interviews classified as empathic, interviewers asked significantly more appropriate questions than they did in interviews classified as non-empathic, and significantly more items of information were elicited from appropriate questions. There was a significant effect of offence type on the number of inappropriate, questions asked, with significantly more inappropriate questions being asked in interviews with suspects of child sex offences than in interviews with suspects of child or adult murder.

Key words:

• empathy
• information
• interviews
• investigation
• murder
• questions
• sexual offences

Notes

1. These data are unique and have not been used in any previous research.

2. In England and Wales, all suspects are entitled to have a solicitor or other legal representative present during their police interview.

3. In England and Wales, under the 2007 PIP, there are four “levels” of PEACE interview training for officers, with PIP Level 2 being for dedicated investigators (e.g., detectives) who plan, conduct and evaluate interviews with suspects for serious and complex investigations.

4. The PACE Act is the primary legislation in England and Wales for the detention and treatment of suspected offenders.

5. In England and Wales, persons being formally interviewed as a suspect have a fundamental right in law not to answer any questions put to them by the police, although a court may draw an inference from their silence. These are referred to as “no comment” interviews.