Last week, on March 26 and 27, a seminar entitled “Strategies and Interviewing Techniques of Minors” was held at the Investigators’ Training Centre of the State Police College. During the seminar, officials from various structural units of the State Police enhanced their knowledge and practical skills in working with minors in criminal proceedings, with particular emphasis on safeguarding the best interests of the child and obtaining reliable information for use in investigations. The training was delivered within the framework of the European Union Internal Security Fund co-financed project “Strengthening the Mobility Response and Counter-Terrorism Capacity of the State Police through the Establishment of a Practical Training Centre”.
“Testimonies provided by minors play a highly significant role in the investigation and detection of criminal offences. Only investigators who have acquired specialised knowledge and skills in interviewing minors can ensure both the best interests and the needs of the child during the investigation and obtain reliable and procedurally useful information from minors. It is essential that investigators not only comply with the requirements set out in Criminal Procedure Law, but also apply scientifically grounded interviewing guidelines, techniques, and strategies,” the seminar leader, Dr. psych. Dace Landmane emphasised.
The seminar took place at the Investigators’ Training Centre of the State Police College and brought together 42 participants from the Zemgale, Vidzeme, Riga, Latgale, and Kurzeme Regional Departments of the State Police, the Main Criminal Police Department, as well as the State Police College. Over the course of two days, participants acquired in-depth knowledge of scientifically based child interviewing protocols, including their possibilities and limitations, and became familiar with best practice guidelines.
On the first day of the seminar, attention was devoted to the fundamental principles of interviewing minors, the psychologist’s competence in interviewing minors, the legal status of minors in criminal proceedings, safeguarding the best interests of the child, and minors’ ability to perceive and provide testimony. The session also covered guidelines for interviewing minors and the possibilities and limitations of the NICHD investigative interview protocol. On the second day, participants gained deeper insight into interviewing techniques and strategies, including different types of questions, the importance of summarisation, and the free narrative approach. They also analysed best practice guidelines developed in Latvia, the use of media during interviews, and factors affecting the accuracy of testimony.
Such training content is particularly important, as high-quality, professional interviewing that is aligned with the best interests of the child is essential both for obtaining reliable testimony and for safeguarding the rights of minors in criminal proceedings. At the same time, this type of training strengthens the professional competencies of law enforcement officials and promotes a unified understanding of best practices in working with minors.
The project is implemented within the 2021-2027 planning period of the EU Internal Security Fund, whose leading institution in Latvia is the Ministry of the Interior. Project No. VP/IDF/2024/5 “Strengthening the Mobility Response and Counter-Terrorism Capacity of the State Police through the Establishment of a Practical Training Centre” has a total budget of 10 598 882 euros, of which the EU Internal Security Fund funding is 7 949 162 euros and the State budget is 2 649 720 euros. The project implementation period is from April 1, 2024, to December 31, 2029.