«Du sitter med både en mistenkt og en fornærmet i samme avhør» : En studie om avhøreres opplevelse av å avhøre barn som er mistenkt for seksuelle overgrep

Abstract

The aim of this study is to explore police interrogators` experiences of questioning children suspected of sexual abuse. Hopefully, the knowledge can provide insight into how interrogators better can support and develop their expertise in police interrogation with suspected children. The study`s research question is: How do police interrogators experience interrogating children who are suspected of sexual abuse?The study has a qualitative design within phenomenological hermeneutic framework. Semi structured in –depth interviews with eight police interrogators were analysed using thematic analysis. The analysis showed that the informants experienced many dilemmas and paradox in conducting police interrogation with children suspected for sexual abuse. On one hand they had to focus on the investigation and the criminal relationship, where the employer expected them to be objective and neutral. On the other hand, they were focused on the childs’s vulnerability, need for security and protection, and felt that their task was to look after the child and build a relationship. The analysis of the interviews further resulted in four main themes: 1. Police questioning of children suspected of abuse, a category that does not exist. 2. An experience of deceiving the child. 3. Caring for the child and the unthinkable theme. 4. Balancing empathy and self-protection.The study indicates that the informants experienced their tasks in these interrogations, that inc luded chaotic and complex issues as demanding, performing actions and assessment at the moment without being able to rely on any manual. Informants described that the greatest burden for them was to stand alone with the responsibility, and with the concern about acting in a way that led to a more difficult situation for the child.