3.1 Evaluating Part 2 of DI Bullet’s suspect interview
Research has found that, broadly speaking, interrogation techniques can often be classified as either:
- ‘minimisation’, where the investigator appears supportive and attempts to downplay the seriousness of the offence, or
- ‘maximisation’, where the investigator employs ‘scare tactics’ to emphasise the seriousness of the offence.
Both minimisation and maximisation have been shown to lead to false confessions.
Activity 3
Now you have read about false confessions and the role of suggestibility and tactics such as minimisation and maximisation, re-watch DI Bullet’s interview with Neale that you first watched in Section 1, but this time try to evaluate it in order to determine what techniques he may have used that could have coerced the suspect.
Make a note of any technique you think may be seen as problematic. You will look further at these in the next section.