The attention to detail is what makes the difference in any investigation. How questions are asked and how questions are answered makes a huge impact on where the truth and facts lie in any circumstance. It is imperative that when asking questions that the investigator/questioner is not giving up information relevant to particular details that only the perpetrator or victim would know. Unfortunately that is not always the case. Many times in Criminal Sexual Conduct cases involving children, if not interviewed by professionally trained forensic interviewers, they can be inadvertently coached to say things or answer leading questions not true to their understanding or vocabulary level.
In fact the same can be said about any investigative interview that is not conducted properly. Through training, experience and research we have found that in many cases the way a person is asked a question, how many times he or she is asked the question and what the body language is of the person questioning can determine the answer given. We also know that the environment a person is in when asked impacts their answer. Nonverbal and verbal communication within an interview setting has a huge impact on how an investigation plays out and how each detail comes to light. Our highly trained investigators present themselves with the highest integrity and objectivity within an investigation and are highly skilled and practiced on attention to detail. This can determine the difference between the truth and lie, life and death, freedom or prison.
