INTRODUCTION

The aim of this chapter is to describe the Italian practice of interrogating young suspects. Until today, no empirical research has been conducted in Italy with regard to the interrogation of juvenile suspects. In contrast with the wide range of literature on the questioning of young victims and young witnesses, no attention has been paid to the juveniles who are suspected of having committed a criminal offence. Therefore, this study aims to draft a first picture which is derived from focus group interviews with legal professionals and with juveniles. The findings from the focus group interviews are complemented with the analysis of recorded interrogations with young suspects.

Focus groups interviews were conducted with all actors directly involved in the interrogation of young suspects: police officers, prosecutors, lawyers and social workers. Participants varied in their experience with regard to the interrogation of young suspects as well as in the degree of their specialisation. In the police focus group nine police officers from two types of police forces (carabinieri and state police) participated. Police officers, mostly female, differed in function as well as in the interrogation training they had followed. The focus group interview with lawyers consisted of six male and female juvenile lawyers of which five were enrolled in the duty lawyer scheme. The focus group interview with prosecutors entailed seven mostly female prosecutors from three districts. Prosecutors were balanced on the criteria of their function (public prosecutors versus deputy public prosecutors) and training. The seven social workers in the focus group interview were all females who came from three different districts and varied in experience and training on interrogation of juveniles. The reason for this is that social workers are not always present during the first interrogation that takes place at the police station. It is more common that they are present at the juvenile first reception center or during the interrogation carried out by the prosecutor.

A focus group interview was also held with juveniles at a Juvenile Detention Centre. Eight male juveniles convicted for an offence participated. These juveniles, a mix of repeat off enders and first off enders, differed also with regard to the type of crime they were suspected of.