The Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA) in collaboration with Blossom Incorporated and Child Link on May 10, 2019, concluded four days of training in forensic interviewing for professionals.
A release from the Ministry of Social Protection said that the training targeted Police, Health and CCPA Officers from various regions.
Founder and Managing Director, Blossom Inc., Ayo Dalgety Dean noted that forensic interviewing is a child friendly way to speak to children about events that may have occurred in their lives. She said, according to the press release, that the training is necessary particularly for police officers so they can be properly prepared to deal with child sexual abuse cases.
“The police station is the central entity that deals with child sexual abuses cases so we thought it was necessary to train police officers in forensic interviewing and also other persons apart of the team so that they will be well equipped to handle situations like that,” Dean said.
Programme Coordinator, Blossom Inc. Michelle Amsterdam said that child development and trauma are among topics discussed during the training. She stressed that it is crucial for officers to learn how to interview children who have had traumatic experiences, in a child friendly and trauma sensitive manner in order to have a successful interview.
“We would like to see more police officers conducting child friendly trauma sensitive interviews and we would like a collaborative effort among the police officers, medical officers and CPA officers and other persons involved. We would also like to see more prosecutions for cases and that is the ultimate aim. Because once these persons are trained and we can conduct these interviews in the ideal setting and format then we’re hoping that there will be more convictions,” Amsterdam said.
