Interrogation and the Infanticide Suspect

Doctors and prosecutors who defend the diagnosis of shaken baby syndrome (SBS) point, among other things, to the many confessions obtained from parents and other caregivers as evidence of the reality of the diagnosis. Drawing on the existing social science research, this chapter examines the questions of (1) how, if at all, interrogations of those suspected of injuring or killing a child are conducted differently than other interrogations, and (2) what, if anything, would render such suspects more or less vulnerable to confession (true or false). The chapter examines how interrogations are typically conducted, and the primary reasons suspects confess, keeping in mind that their confessions can be either true or false. In the end, this chapter concludes that suspects in alleged shaken baby cases are arguably more vulnerable to false confession than those suspected of other crimes, and accordingly one cannot assume the reliability or truthfulness of confessions in these cases.

Keywords

police interrogation false confessions child abuse suspect psychological vulnerability Reid technique minimisation

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Type: Chapter
Information: Shaken Baby Syndrome
Investigating the Abusive Head Trauma Controversy
, pp. 179 - 188
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009177894.012 [Opens in a new window]
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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Chapter 11 - Interrogation and the Infanticide Suspect

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