Kathmandu, February 18

Patan High Court Judge Tek Narayan Kuwar said forensic experiential trauma interview could be started from any district in cases of rape, human trafficking, domestic violence, pornography and child prostitution.

“The approach is designed to gather information about a traumatic event from the witnesses rather than the victims,” Kunwar said at a workshop on FETI organised by Kingdom Investment (KI) Nepal, in Lalitpur, today.

According to him, FETI approach towards criminal investigation could be adopted as per Article 21 of the constitution. Access to justice, fair treatment, restitution, compensation and assistance are the basic principles of justice adopted under FETI approach.

Forensic interview specialist at Department of Homeland Security of the United States of America Amy S Allen said FETI approach aims to maintain integrity of the criminal investigation process. Studies have shown that trauma interrupts the memory process and hence information obtained from traumatised victims could be much farther from the truth.

“Forensic interview is a tool to assist law enforcement agencies in determining if a crime has occurred. It is a key component to a thorough and complete investigation,” Allen said, adding, “It is conducted in a neutral setting that allows the investigators to solicit the most accurate and descriptive information.”

She said forensic interview required specialised training and victims needed to feel safe and secure before they could provide reliable information.

DSP Ganga Panta said Nepal Police was the only authority to investigate human trafficking cases.