PROJECT
The European research project CO-Minor-IN/QUEST - Cooperation in Interpreter-mediated Questioning of Minors - (2013-2014) was funded by the Directorate-General for Justice of the European Commission (Grant agreement JUST/2011/JPEN/AG/2961). The project focused on interpreting in police interviews and questioning with juvenile victims, witnesses and suspects with the aim of improving communication in this setting through interprofessional training. Criticalities and good practices in this sensitive field of activity were identified by circulating an on-line questionnaire in several European countries.
The project goals were the following:
- collecting information with an online questionnaire, raising awareness among professionals working in this field and, wherever possible, improve their professional skills as well as the ability to talk through an interpreter;
- identifying good practices with a view to including them in interdisciplinary training programmes for all professionals dealing with children involved in criminal proceedings and who do not speak the language of the proceedings.
The project focused on police interviews mediated by interpreters involving juvenile victims, suspects and witnesses who are vulnerable because of their young age under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. It identified the most appropriate tools and methods to provide information, support and protection to this vulnerable group, with specific reference to Directive 2010/64/EU of 20 October 2010 on the right to interpretation for suspects, victims and witnesses who do not speak the language of the criminal proceedings they are involved in, and Directive 2012/29/EU on assistance and protection of victims of crime, which establishes the right to interpreting for victims (including children) who do not speak the language of the proceedings.
The project deliverables are the following.
- Recommendations for Interpreters and Other Professionals who Work with Children (flyer, in 5 languages)
- Balogh, Katalin & Salaets, Heidi (eds) (2015) Children and justice: overcoming language barriers. Cooperation in interpreter-mediated questioning of minors. Antwerpen et. al.: Intersentia