Bridging Guidelines and Practice: Questioning Styles in Judicial Interviews with Child Sexual Abuse Victims in Portugal

This study investigates the questioning styles used in Statements for Future Use (SFU) interviews with child sexual abuse victims in Portugal, aiming to assess their alignment with evidence-based best practices. The authors found that recognition-based prompts were predominantly used, while open-ended invitations were rare but more effective in eliciting detailed responses. These findings suggest a significant deviation from recommended child-centered interviewing techniques, raising concerns about the reliability of children's testimonies in judicial settings.