Hi, guys. Wondering if any of you could help me get my facts straight. Does anyone know what the proper police procedure (in Britain) would be, in the event of a fifteen year old girl arriving at the station having just escaped a kidnapper? (He abducted her the night before, and she escaped (with help) early in the morning.) Would they let her give her statement without a parent or guardian there? Would they take photos of her injuries as evidence? Would they let her go home with her parent or guardian as soon as she'd given her statement? Thanks much for any guidance on this.
Not sure about Britain, but in the U.S. you can give a police statement w/out a parent sitting in the room with you, but they'd call the parents and they'd be waiting outside most likely. Same with photo-taking, injury-examining, evidence-gathering etc. And yeah, then they'd let you go home, and call if they needed anything later.
Excellent, thanks very much. That's pretty much how I've already written it, so I really hope it's the same here. Someone told me they thought that there would have to be a social worker present while they were talking to the police if they didn't have a parent with them. Does anyone know if that's true or not? Thanks ever so much for the help.
After the initial statement is given and the crime officially reported, an investigation file would be opened and assigned to a detective (not sure what rank they would call an American Detective in the UK, but their jobs would be similar). Once the investigation file was opened and assigned, the detective would interview the victim at length about her statement, asking the specific details of the who, what, where, when, how many where there, what did they look like, did you hear any names used, any witnesses, etc. After the investigator interview, then case would be discussed with the parents to evaluate the degree of safety to the minor. Is she at risk for being kidnapped again, retaliation for escaping, revenge for foiling their plot, etc. If so, she may be either advised to stay with relatives or placed into protective custody until the matter is resolved (depending on severity of the risk). In either case, the parents would be interviewed in case they have any information that would help the investigation before being allowed to leave with the child. They would most likely be provided with a business card from the detective, so they can reach him directly and quickly if any new information turns up or the bad guys attempt to return. The parents would most likely be given the standard information regarding upgrading their home security (lock doors and windows, emergency phone numbers on speed dial or written near phone, consider getting a home alarm system, etc.).
Thanks for the info. It's very kind of you to help me out and it's very much appreciated. To be honest I don't get chance to delve into what happens (police-wise) after the initial statement due to the events that follow. The only part of her interaction with the police that's focused on (albeit briefly) is really just after she's given her statement. Then her guardian takes her home. (Although they don't actually make it home.) Is it feasible that she could give her statement alone and be allowed to go home within a couple of hours? Or is there more to it than that?
I'm not exactly an expert, but I would think she would have to wait in the police station for her parents or guardian to come and pick her up. Maybe she'll have to wait for them to give her statement and all that too.
Hi, Speaking from a kiwi perspective, yes, someone parent / guardian or social worker would have to be present when the interview was given. This is because she is a minor and her rights have to be respected. Its not impossible afterall that she could admit to having done something illegal after all, even though she is the victim here, and also she might consent to procedures and giving testimony without understanding the consequences. Minor's generally can't give consent for themselves. In addition if she has wounds / injuries, they would have to be examined by a doctor, and someone must be there to protect her rights, make sure that whatever examinations are done are done with the girl's full consent based on appropriate knowledge of what is involved. I would think it very unlikely that she could just turn up at the station, give her statement and go home. At the very least the police if they could not contact her family by phone to get them down to the station, would drive her home, after making sure that a doctor has tended to her injuries even if she does not consent to a medical examination for evidential purposes. Cheers.
