Frontline police and taking the statement of a child witness

This course is aimed at all frontline police in South Africa who are, in many cases, the first official to receive a report of a sexual offence committed against a child. This course aims to provide these police with the necessary information relating to the gathering of information about an alleged incident order to open a case. This course will directly impact on the manner in which these officials relate to children by providing them with an essential understanding of the abilities of children as well as the dynamics of sexual violence committed against children.

Target audience

This course is aimed at all police officers who play a frontline role.

Course content

This course includes the following topics:

  • Myths relating to child abuse
  • First response to child victims of sexual violence
  • The Legal Framework
  • Identifying the Elements of a Crime
  • Testing Competency
  • Problems in Obtaining Information from Children who have been Sexually Abused
  • Planning and Preparation
  • Methods of Taking Statements
  • Conducting a Forensic Interview
  • Interviewing Tools
  • Problematic Interviewing Techniques
  • Taking a Statement from a Child
  • Taking a Statement: Police Instruction
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Logistics

This course is presented over a 3 day period, and participants receive a folder and a manual.

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