Abstract
This article presents the findings of the analysis of authentic interpreter-mediated police interviews with victim-survivors of domestic abuse with a focus on question formation and delivery, language choice and code-switching. It is set against the backdrop of the forces wide inspection of police response to domestic abuse in England and Wales (HMIC 2014) and implementation of EU Directive EU/2012/29 establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims. Drawing on conversation analysis and available police interview guidelines, I show how the voice of the victim-survivor can remain obscured even when professional language support provisions are in place, and shed light on interpreting practices that can limit an interviewing officer’s ability to assess risk. I suggest that, while it may not be appropriate for interpreters to be present for the duration of the pre-interview planning phase, it offers a dynamic forum for negotiating approaches to challenges in victim-survivor interviews.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 1058-1076 |
Journal | Police Practice and Research |
Volume | 22 |
Issue number | 1 |
Early online date | 21 Sept 2019 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 15 Jan 2021 |
Keywords
- best language
- code-switching
- domestic abuse
- victim-witness police interviews
- interpreting
Fingerprint
Dive into the research topics of '‘Yes I understand’: Language Choice, Question Formation and Code-switching in Interpreter-mediated Police Interviews with Victim-survivors of Domestic Abuse'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Impacts
-
Enhancing delivery of multilingual support services for domestic abuse survivors
Tipton, R. (Participant)
Impact: Awareness and understanding, Attitudes and behaviours, Society and culture