Identifying the need for and obtaining appropriate adults for vulnerable suspects

Holmes, Jennifer; Pierpoint, Harriet

Abstract

Code of Practice C of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 establishes that suspects who are vulnerable (juveniles or vulnerable adults) should receive the safeguard of an appropriate adult (AA). The role of the AA is to provide support to suspects, ensure they are treated fairly and understand their rights, and to facilitate communication (Code C, para 1.7A). The custody officer is normally responsible for determining whether an AA is required and then arranging for the AA to attend the police station (Dehaghani, 2019). However, research has found that adults are seldom identified as vulnerable when they ought to be (NAAN, 2015), and that AAs are not always obtained even when a potential vulnerability has been identified (Dehaghani, 2019) or vulnerability is clear as in the case of youth (Pierpoint, 2020).

This paper will draw on existing and new research to explore the involvement of other police officers, namely those undertaking voluntary interviews and those working on major crime investigations, in deciding whether an AA is required, and, if needed, how an AA is obtained, and the risks involved in this. The paper will discuss the extent to which officers, other than custody officers, obtain AAs in cases involving vulnerable suspects, their understanding of vulnerability and the inherent tension in being responsible for both investigating alleged offences and ensuring the implementation of safeguards against themselves.

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (unpublished)
• Conference Name: The Vulnerable Accused
• Start Date: Sep 14, 2023
• Deposit Date: Sep 26, 2023
• Keywords: Vulnerability, appropriate adult, police interview
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/11139040