Discuss the interview considerations when interviewing a sex-trafficking victim.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Over the years, experienced sex-trafficking investigators have gained valuable experience in identifying those protocols that result in the most successful interviews. The following list has a series of suggestions that less-experienced sex-trafficking investigators may find useful:

1. Be aware that traffickers might not be easy to distinguish from victims.
2. Educate yourself on trauma, its impact, and effects on the sex-trafficking victim, and consider collaborating with a trauma specialist to assist with the interviews.
3. Adopt a compassionate and non-judgmental manner.
4. If possible, conduct interviews with victims/witnesses while in plain clothes and keep attire informal.
5. Do not display weapons or badges during the interview process.
6. When an interpreter is needed, select one that is in no way connected to the traffickers. While a good interpreter is essential, the interviewer must use the vocabulary the victim understands. Briefing and debriefing an interpreter can ensure that the victim will understand the language used in the interview. An interpreter trained in sex-trafficking issues can also help eliminate confusion regarding language nuances, such as differences in dialect and other culturally sensitive issues.
7. Do not ask "Are you a trafficking victim?"
8. Allow the interviewees to describe what happened to their counterparts before focusing on their own suffering; it is often easier for them to initially talk about what happened to other people.
9. Only persons absolutely essential to the interview should be present during the interview.
10. Provide victims the opportunity to tell their story; it may help for them to be able to do so. Investigators should avoid repeatedly interviewing the victim because the process can be physically and psychologically exhausting and may result in re-traumatizing the victim who will be reliving her experience every time she has to talk about it.
11. Do not use interrogation methods. Investigators must remember, this is an interview.
12. It is best to use a conversational approach rather than a rapid series of questions in order to obtain preliminary information.
13. Open-ended questions will elicit more information from victims than those answerable with a yes or no response.
14. It can be very helpful to have trusted victim service providers conduct a parallel interview as they can assist in reducing the victim's fear of law enforcement. They will not be gathering the facts of the crime, but instead will be assessing practical needs of the victim.
15. Be sure the victim has some control in the situation (breaks, water, and seating placement).
16. Allow the victim to set the length and pace of the interview.
17. Do not make promises you may not be able to keep.
18. Do not videotape or audiotape the initial conversations. This is suggested because it is quite likely that the rescued victim will still be somewhat traumatized with her first encounter with American law enforcement. As a matter of fact, she might even be under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol during the initial interview. This is not the kind of interview prosecutors want to have recorded and then be required to show to a jury. It tends to exacerbate the problem of inconsistencies should the victim later change her testimony when she is sober and/or has developed a level of trust with the investigator.