You will need to decide on the way in which you seek clarification to contested information. This will depend partly on your understanding of the suspect and the relationship that you have built up during the interview. An example might be where the suspect has said that they were at one place – X, but you have a witness who saw them at another place – Y. You may choose to directly confront the suspect, saying: “That’s untrue; we know you were at Y. Why don’t you admit it?” While this may lead the suspect to concede the point, they may deny it, making it more difficult for them later to admit it, and the rapport may begin to deteriorate, causing them to be less inclined to divulge any information. You could equally deal with the same discrepancy by saying: “We have a problem here, because there is a very reliable witness who saw you at Y at the time that you say that you were at X. Maybe we can explain this? Maybe there is something else that you’d like to say that can help us to clear this up?” In this latter example the use of “we” helps maintain rapport and gives the impression that you and the suspect are working together to clarify what really happened. You can follow up the suspect’s account, where it is still in contest with the evidence presented by using closed questions, for example by asking: “Do you still claim that you were not at Y?” The suspect will become aware of the weight of evidence against them as you strategically disclose it in the course of the interview. This may convince them that an admission of guilt is then their best course of action. If the suspect admits guilt, you should allow them to present a new account and support a full and accurate disclosure by using open questioning and probing as necessary. You must remain calm, composed and civil throughout the interview. Even if you must robustly challenge elements of the account given by the suspect, do so without hostility or aggression. Closure Closing the interview is a significant stage and not to be done quickly in the belief that the interview ends when your questioning is complete. There are a number of important points to cover. The first of these is to ask the suspect if they have anything they would like to add to their account, anything they would like to clarify or if they have any questions to ask. Remember that there may be a need to re-interview the suspect, so it is important to maintain rapport and a professional, respectful relationship. At this point, if you already know, inform them of what you intend to follow up in future interviews. The interview process ► Page 27