CHENNAI: The term “forensic” is too often conflated with physical evidence and crime scene investigations.Jennifer Anderson, from Corner House, a US-based non-profit organisation, is visiting India to introduce the concept of forensic interviewing in cases of child sexual abuse to social workers and police personnel in Chennai, Bangalore and Delhi.“The basic premise in forensic interviewing is to conduct an interview that is suitable for the court. It is to facilitate a child to tell his or her experience to the best of their developmental ability,” explained Anderson, who is the Tulir – Centre for the Prevention and Healing Child Sexual Abuse expertin- residence for the month.In the US, forensic interviews are videotaped and coordinated by a multidisciplinary team. While a best practice more than a legally mandated approach, the technique is universally adopted in America and was arrived at by child protection activists and the legal system in order to ensure justice in cases involving children while minimising the number of interviews a child is subjected to.“The idea is to conduct the interview in a child-friendly manner without preconceived notions causing the professional to lead the child.There is a basic protocol, which is modified depending on the case, the gender and age of the child, and so on,” she said.For example, sometimes a child may have several blocks that prevent him or her from discussing what happened.“Just talking about what is bothering the child may help him or her to overcome the block and talk about the abuse,” she said. The idea is to get the most information from the child in the best possible way.“We do not stress too much on the importance of telling someone about the abuse as some children who are initially hesitant to talk about being abused will continue to hold back out of guilt,” she explained. The protocols can be adapted to different situations.Anderson will be explaining the protocol for different scenarios in the workshops she will be conducting over the month.
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