Introduction: International developments in practice for victim and witness interviews

Investigative interviewing is a key feature both in the investigation of crime as well as in the way that it can enable justice. Given how essential interviewing and interrogation is to law enforcement agencies internationally, it is surprising how little we know of the techniques and practices used across the world. Policing has, without doubt, changed over the past century, but the majority of our general understanding is primarily stereotypical presentations from television shows or movies, many of which are unreliable as a means of understanding what actually happens when victims, witnesses and suspects are interviewed by law enforcement investigators. Those of us within the police and academic fields of police science, psychology, criminology, law and others see an urgent need for providing balanced information on the various techniques used in law enforcement.