Explaining to a Minor the Possibility to Answer «I Don’t Know», «I Don’t Remember», «I Don’t Understand», and Its Influence on the Reliability of Testimony

Abstract

The reliability of testimony given by minors depends on the characteristics of the triad of information perception-memorization-reproduction. In the course of investigative actions, it is impossible to correct the specifics of perception and memorization; one can only take into account their individual aspects when selecting tactics for working with minors. At the same time, the investigator can effectively influence the child's process of reproducing information by removing communication barriers and maintaining contact. One of the little-studied factors in domestic science that influences the testimony of minors is the specifics of the “child-adult” relationship. Foreign interrogation practices suggest that minors be instructed before giving evidence on the facts of the answers “I don’t know”, “I don’t remember”, “I don’t understand”. At the same time, there is not enough data in domestic science to testify to the effectiveness of these instructions and their impact on the reliability of the testimony of minors. For this purpose, we conducted an experiment consisting in the demonstration of a video clip followed by a survey of minors. All subjects were divided into two groups, one of which was briefly instructed "I don't know", "I don't remember", "I don't understand". This group demonstrated a higher level of reliability of answers to significant questions (difficult to understand or knowingly unknown facts), and the effectiveness of instruction was the higher, the lower the age of the subjects. The results of the experiment are planned to be used in the future to improve the tactics of verbal investigative actions involving minors.