Evaluating a Pilot Pioneering Training on Conducting Forensic Interviews with Children in Mozambique

In child sexual abuse (CSA) cases, children undergo a series of forensic interviews, which have the potential to escalate the consequences of the abuse. However, in Mozambique, a low-income country, access to tools that facilitate justice for survivors of CSA is limited, and rates of violence against children are high. We pilot tested a training workshop on CSA and the use of the NICHD protocol in Mozambique and tested the training’s effectiveness in increasing participant knowledge about CSA. Forty-four students of sign language and psychology courses at a university in Mozambique enrolled in this three-day workshop. Their knowledge of CSA, examining evidence in CSA cases, establishing rapport in forensic interviews, and the use of open-ended and closed-ended questions was tested before and after the workshop. Participants’ knowledge of using open-ended questions in forensic interviews with children increased after attending the workshop and participants aged 26 years or above also gained knowledge on establishing rapport in interviews. Training professionals in Mozambique helps ensure that children have access to justice. Training conducted in this study successfully increased participant knowledge on how to conduct interviews and showed the importance of context in the delivery of training.