How to interview a minor in a way that both secures reliable information and protects the child?
This specific question was the focus of the seminar "Techniques and Strategies for Interviewing Minors," which took place on March 26 and 27 at the State Police College's Investigator Training Center. The event brought together 42 State Police officers from all over Latvia.
The goal of the seminar was to strengthen investigators' skills in working with minors, focusing on the best interests of the child and obtaining high-quality testimony.
As the seminar leader Dr. psych. Dace Landmane emphasizes: "Only investigators who have acquired specialized knowledge and skills in interviewing minors will be able to ensure the child's best interests and needs during the investigation, as well as obtain reliable and useful information for criminal proceedings."
Over the course of two days:
🧠 Evidence-based interviewing protocols were mastered;
👂🏻 Minors' perception and the specific characteristics of their testimony were analyzed;
🗣️ Interviewing techniques and questioning methods were refined;
📊 Factors affecting the accuracy of testimony were evaluated.
The seminar was attended by representatives from all regional administrations of the State Police, the Central Criminal Police Department, and the State Police College. 🤝🏻
Such training is essential to ensure both the protection of minors' rights and high-quality investigations within criminal proceedings.
The seminar was implemented within the framework of the European Union Internal Security Fund co-financed project No. VP/IDF/2024/5, "Strengthening the response mobility and counter-terrorism capabilities of the State Police by developing a practical training center" (01.04.2024–31.12.2029).
Read more (in Latvian) HERE.
