Nicole Has Been Forensically Trained
NICOLE HAS BEEN FORENSICALLY TRAINED ON:
✔ HOW TO talk to a child
✔ HOW TO confirm a child knows the difference between telling the truth and telling a lie
✔ HOW TO question the child about the potential of misidentifying the perpetrator
✔ HOW TO ask questions of a child whose touching may of occurred during routine caregiving
✔ HOW TO understand a child’s language
✔ HOW TO question a child about the possibility of wanting to retaliate against the accused
✔ HOW TO appropriately approach a child about sensitive private part conversations
✔ HOW TO question the child to see if they have been Coached about what to say
✔ HOW TO find out what the child is really saying
✔ HOW TO question a child about any outside influences there may be on a child
✔ HOW TO look for indicators of not telling the truth by the child
✔HOW TO ask open ended questions of the child
✔ HOW TO follow up with the next question if the child decides not to talk
✔ HOW TO handle a child who only shakes their head yes and no
✔ HOW TO engage a reluctant child
POLICE OFFICER: Once a police officer learns that the accuser is a child, the police officer will make arrangements for the child to be interviewed at a CAC. A police officer typically will not interview a child. When determining if the accuser is a “child”, the majority of the police departments in Michigan consider a person under the ages of 15 or 16 years old to be a child. There are some exceptions to this generally followed rule. If a police officer does in fact interview a child, he/she must interview the child using the forensic protocol.
Nicole has read dozens of police reports in which a police officer interviewed a child and did NOT use the forensic protocol. If the police officer does not use the forensic protocol when talking to a child, Nicole knows exactly how to cross examine that officer and show how improper his interview was and therefore the child’s accusations should not be believed.
