Show empathy when interviewing suspects urges Teesside University expert

A leading expert on techniques used to interview child sex offenders says that based on the research he and others have conducted, the use of empathy together with appropriate questioning is the most efficient and effective way of extracting relevant information from potential offenders.

Dr Gavin Oxburgh, a Senior Lecturer in Forensic Psychology, advises rather than torture, brutality and interrogation, it is empathy and appropriate questioning that are the most powerful tools in exploiting a suspect’s weakness.

He was speaking ahead of a Radio 4 documentary in which he was interviewed extensively about different interview techniques.

The documentary, titled Interrogators without Pliers, examines the different techniques used, in the UK and abroad, for gaining high quality information from suspected offenders.

As a benchmark, the programme focuses on the techniques of Hanns Scharff, a German interrogator during the Second World War who was able to obtain information from captives without ever using physical force. He became known as the master interrogator.

Dr Oxburgh, a former RAF Police Senior Detective who has analysed hundreds of police interviews with child sex offenders and murderers, said: 'The unique thing about Hanns Scharff was that he was able to talk to captives and extract information without them even realising it was happening.'

In terms of police interviews with suspects, particularly in child sex cases, Dr Oxburgh argues that one of the main obstacles is that police often, whether it is sub-consciously or not, appear to want to maintain power over the suspect and ask closed questions.

'If you ask open questions the interview generally lasts for longer and with the use of empathy and appropriate questioning, in terms of phrases such as ‘tell me more’, ‘explain why’, ‘describe how’, the suspect is more likely to open up and you can extract more relevant information,” explained Gavin.'

'There is a big difference between empathy and sympathy. Empathy is showing understanding and trying to tell the suspect you can help them to bring a situation to a conclusion. Sympathy is feeling sorry for the suspect and that is something completely different.'

Dr Oxburgh works closely with various police forces around the world and has published many academic articles on the topic and has presented his research at national and international conferences.

Recently, he visited South Africa and worked with the Police to help train a team of officers on how to protect children from abuse on the internet. He is due to return to South Africa in December to continue the training.

Interrogators without Pliers is due to be broadcast on Radio 4, at 8.00pm on Monday 15 October.

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