Police interviews with survivors of historic child sexual abuse : challenges and solutions

Over recent years policing jurisdictions have begun investigating allegations of historic child sexual abuse (HCSA) (Cashmore and Shackel 2014). Survivors of HCSA are potentially a vulnerable population and their vulnerability presents challenges for police investigators especially during the police interview. During an interview, the police need to extract relevant information and test its veracity whilst at the same time managing the expectations and broader psychological needs of the HCSA survivor often in a context where the interview may be the only means of obtaining evidence about the allegation. This chapter will explore the vulnerabilities of HCSA survivors, and how these vulnerabilities might impact the interview process and possible police responses.