Whatever It Takes: Earning the Trust of Survivors in High-Control Environment Cases
Trauma can complicate investigations and prosecutions, especially in coercive environments like cults, trafficking networks, and other high-control settings. This workshop covers trauma-related barriers, communication with reluctant witnesses, and evidence-gathering and trial-prep strategies that prioritize safety and account for trauma’s impact on disclosure and testimony.
Suggested Audience: Law enforcement and prosecutors, with some value for other MDT members
Full Description: The trauma inflicted on survivors and other witnesses can create significant challenges to investigation and prosecution, particularly in cases involving coercive environments such as cults, trafficking networks, or other high-control contexts. This workshop equips investigators and prosecutors with strategies to navigate trauma-related barriers, gather critical evidence, and effectively communicate with understandably reluctant, fearful, or distrustful witnesses. Attendees will explore psychological dynamics that impact victim participation, learn practical approaches for maximizing safety and empowering survivors, and review investigative and trial preparation techniques that account for trauma’s influence on disclosure and testimony.
Learning Objectives:
Analyze how trauma manifests in witness behavior and its implications for evidence gathering, interviews, and testimony.
Develop strategies to communicate effectively with traumatized witnesses while minimizing retraumatization.
Apply investigative and trial preparation techniques tailored to complex cases, including those involving cults, trafficking, and other coercive environments.
Speaker(s): Robert Peters and/or Alison Sutherland