Family and Friends Forum

Hi,

I wonder if the police ever think 'hmmmm I wonder what emotional impact my words will have on the non offending partners'. I'm 1.5 years post knock and I still relive all the conversations I had during that initial arrest period.

The only reason I can think of as to why they are asking these questions (I was asked the same on the day of the knock) is to rule out other people doing whatever they are accusing the person of.

I just feel like they light the fuse when they arrive and then comes the explosion of anxiety, questions, disbelief etc etc when they leave.

I hope they stick to the timescales.

Hi Baffled,



we were asked the same questions, did we have regular house guests, babysitters etc they even asked if anyone was in the house at the time they called that shouldn't be there like we were hiding someone! It was very strange. I think they were trying to figure out if anyone had access to our WiFi and could have sent the images without us knowing. They also asked how long we had been in the house. I really hope you get answers soon.

Personally I wouldn't talk to the police without a solicitor. I probably would have in the past. There is no such thing as an informal chat. They are looking for evidence to aid prosecution and statements which reduce the possibility of certain defences. Sadly some purposely are avoiding anything that aids the defence. Talk to a solictor first, they can advise you what is in your best interest. The police are in a strong position, they are trained in inteviewing people, and they know how to ask the questions in a way to advantage themselves. They know why they are asking them, and they know the response they want. They know the psychology of the interview process.

People can and do say all sorts of things under the stress of a police interview, and it's not unheard of for people to say something untruthful against their own interests, or simply miss out the context because of anxiety and make a situation or event much more different to the reality. Indeed, it looks bad if you simply do not remember something that is later quite important, and a prosecutor can pick up on this to make your account look unreliable.

Also anything said can be read out in court, and such be reported in the media. As such mentioning something like an affair that has nothing to do with the situation, can later become public knowledge. Which is why a solicitor can help to stop you saying such stuff which is not of relevance.

I say this, as my partner mentioned things that were perfectly legal in his interview, and was not really relevant at all. But the selected quotes of the interview didn't make him look good, and were read out in court. At the time he really thought being honest and open without a solcitor was a good option, indeed he thought the interview went well. This sadly was not the case.