Page 230 - Deception at work all chapters EBook

Conducting Tough Interviews 231

deep truth, the suspect has to trust you, so do nothing that marks you out as untrustworthy:
this does not mean that you should not be unswerving in your quest for the truth

Important responses

BACKGROUND

The normal sequence of interviews is question – answer – question and so on. But there are a
number of possible responses that displace this sequence and which you should consciously
plan to deal with.

REFUSAL TO ANSWER QUESTIONS

Background

Even if the suspect appears ready, willing and able to take part in an interview, there is still
a possibility that he will not answer some or all questions. If he does this you know that the
answers would not be in his favour and you should proceed on that basis and persuade him
to answer by using some or all of the following approaches.

If someone refuses to answer a question, you know it would not be in his favour.
That is all you need to know

Types of and reasons for refusal

Refusal to answer questions, which is a very strong indication of guilt and the epitome of the
flee in the ‘fight or flight’ decision, comes in two guises – overt (conscious) and covert (uncon-
scious), as illustrated in Table 7.5.

Table 7.5 Refusal to answer

Category Examples
Probable motivation

Overt refusal

I cannot defend myself ‘I am not coming to see you’
‘I am saying nothing’
‘I am saying nothing unless my lawyer is there’

I have had a bad experience before ‘I have already been interviewed by your colleagues and I
am not going over it again’

Subtle refusal

I cannot defend myself but do not have the Evasion
courage to refuse to answer your questions Pseudo-denials
Objections
Emotional outbursts
‘No comment’
‘You have already made up your mind and there is no
point in my explaining’