Page 104 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 16 February 1993

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .

Legislative Assembly Question No. 509

Police Force - Child Interview Guidelines

Mr Humphries: To ask the Attorney General - What guidelines are employed by the Australian Federal Police in the interviewing of children (other than suspects) under the age of fourteen years, especially alleged child victims of sexual assault.

Mr Connolly: The answer to Mr Humphries question is as follows:

Guidelines for the interviewing of children under 18 years of age are set down in Australian Federal Police (AFP) General Instruction 13 and AFP ACT Regional Instruction 15/91. There are no guidelines which specifically relate to the interviewing of children under the age of fourteen years or to child victims of sexual assault.

Children who have allegedly been the victim of sexual assault or of child abuse are interviewed in discrete premises away from police stations by members of the AFP Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Unit. Such interviews are normally recorded by audio and/or video recording to lessen the time that the child is interviewed, thereby minimising trauma to the child.

Paragraph 7 of ACT Regional Instruction 15/91 specifically

relates to the interviewing of children as witnesses and states:

7. (1) Where a member has cause to interview a child for the purposes of obtaining a statement in connection with a "serious offence" the member shall ensure that:-

(a) a parent of the child;

(b) a relative of the child acceptable to the child; or

is present before interviewing the child in respect of an offence, or causing the child to provide a statement in relation to an offence.

(2) Where a person nominated in the class of persons listed in sub-section 7(1) is the subject of an investigation into an alleged offence, or is connected with the investigation in such a manner as to make his/her presence inappropriate in the circumstances or is not able to be present within two hours, after being requested, then the Duty Superintendent shall be contacted

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .