THE FORENSIC INTERVIEW: OBTAINING COGNITIVE INDICIA IN CHILDREN WHO ARE THE ALLEGED VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ABUSE

The characteristics surrounding child sexual abuse (CSA), which is committed in secret without witnesses or corroborating physical evidence, make it difficult to prosecute. The analysis and assessment of the cognitive indicia (memory imprint) thus becomes the primary documentary evidence the judge can count on. The forensic interview is the instrument by which the forensic psychologist obtains the cognitive indicia for further analysis and assessment with regards to credibility. The present article warns of the potential interviewer biases and procedural errors that can contaminate the child's narrative production, and proposes a design of the forensic interview process that aims to facilitate the evaluator's task and minimise the possible biases. It emphasises the need for the evaluator to have knowledge and specialised training in this technique.