Listen, respect, protect: recommendations for interviewing women victims of sexual violence

Abstract

The victim's word has great relevance in cases of sexual violence, however in Brazil there is a lack of specific recommendations for conducting interviews in these cases. This article aims to present procedures to be adopted in interviews with women victims of sexual violence. The recommendations include raising awareness about rape myths, establishing rapport, recording the testimony, and prioritize free recall and open-ended questions. These practices are in line with scientific recommendations and can be used to train public safety professionals to preserve eyewitness evidence and avoid revictimization.