Child Forensic Interviews

When a concern arises that a child has endured sexual abuse, a forensic interview is the best way to gather information about the allegation. A forensic interview is an objective, non-leading, legally defensible and age-appropriate, information-gathering process. Forensic interviews reduce trauma experienced by children by reducing the number of times they have to talk about what happened to them.

Unless a child is too young to talk, his or her experience at the Cece Yara Child Advocacy Centre will begin with a Forensic Interview. The interview is conducted by someone trained in latest forensic interviewing techniques, child development and linguistics, and will take place in one of our age-appropriate interview rooms. The interview will be permanently recorded and observed by law enforcement or child protective services investigators who are part of the Child Advocacy Centre multidisciplinary team. This allows investigators who are assigned to help your family, ask the forensic interviewer additional questions that can clarify information and reduce the times a child will have to be interviewed. As a result, all members of a multidisciplinary team obtain the information needed to proceed on behalf of the child.