Agneswaran, Amuda (2018) Exploring the experiences of registered interme- diaries and police officers in UK of working with adult witnesses with intellec- tual disabilities. Doctoral thesis (PhD), Manchester Metropolitan University. Downloaded from: https://e-space.mmu.ac.uk/620578/ Usage rights: Creative Commons: Attribution-Noncommercial-No Deriva- tive Works 4.0 Please cite the published version https://e-space.mmu.ac.uk EXPLORING THE EXPERIENCES OF REGISTERED INTERMEDIARIES AND POLICE OFFICERS IN UK OF WORKING WITH ADULT WITNESSES WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES A AGNESWARAN PhD 2018 EXPLORING THE EXPERIENCES OF REGISTERED INTERMEDIARIES AND POLICE OFFICERS IN UK OF WORKING WITH ADULT WITNESSES WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES AMUDA AGNESWARAN A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of Manchester Metropolitan University for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Psychology Manchester Metropolitan University 2018 ii iii Table of Contents Table of Contents ........................................................................................... iv List of Tables and Figures ................................................................................ix Abstract .......................................................................................................... x Acknowledgements........................................................................................ xii Outputs from the Thesis ................................................................................ xiii Awards ................................................................................................. xiii Conference Presentations ................................................................... xiii Guest lectures ..................................................................................... xiv Glossary of Abbreviations .............................................................................. xv Overview of Thesis Chapters ........................................................................... 1 Chapter 1 ........................................................................................................ 5 Literature review- Eyewitness Testimony in the Criminal Justice System .......... 5 Overview of the CJS .................................................................................... 6 The Police ............................................................................................... 7 The CPS ................................................................................................... 9 Case Progression ..................................................................................10 The Evolution of Eyewitness Research ....................................................... 11 Factors Affecting Eyewitness Accuracy ...................................................... 12 Is Eyewitness Testimony Unreliable? ......................................................... 20 Improving Eyewitness Testimony .............................................................. 21 Police Officials ......................................................................................21 Law Enforcement and Jurors ...............................................................25 Conclusion ................................................................................................ 27 Chapter 2 ...................................................................................................... 29 iv Literature Review- Vulnerable Witnesses in the Criminal Justice System ........ 29 Definitions of Vulnerability and Vulnerable Witnesses .............................. 30 Psychological Vulnerabilities of Witnesses with ID .................................... 34 Special Measures for Vulnerable Witnesses .............................................. 36 Registered Intermediaries for Vulnerable Witnesses ................................. 39 Demographics and Background of RIs .................................................40 Role and Function of RIs ......................................................................41 Recruitment and Training of RIs ..........................................................43 Challenges Faced by Witnesses with ID ..................................................... 45 Identification of Witnesses with ID ......................................................45 Credibility of Witnesses with ID ...........................................................51 Interviewing Witnesses with ID ...........................................................53 Cross-examination of Witnesses with ID .............................................57 Conclusion ................................................................................................ 61 Chapter 3 ...................................................................................................... 63 Research Questions ....................................................................................... 63 Aims of the Thesis ..................................................................................... 63 Study 1- Experiences of RIs ........................................................................ 64 Method .................................................................................................65 Study 2- Experiences of Police Officers ...................................................... 65 Method .................................................................................................66 Study 3- Attitudes of Police towards ID ..................................................... 66 Method .................................................................................................68 Summary of Research Studies ................................................................... 68 Chapter 4 ...................................................................................................... 70 v Methodology ................................................................................................ 70 Qualitative Methodology .......................................................................... 70 Epistemological Approach- Phenomenology .......................................71 History of Phenomenology ..................................................................73 IPA in Forensic Psychology ...................................................................75 Working with IPA .................................................................................76 Reflexivity in Qualitative Research ......................................................79 Ethical Considerations ............................................................................... 80 Study 1 ...................................................................................................... 82 Recruitment Process ............................................................................82 Study 2 ...................................................................................................... 83 Recruitment Process ............................................................................83 Quantitative Methodology ........................................................................ 84 Study 3 ...................................................................................................... 85 Method of Data Collection ...................................................................85 Mixed Methods Design ............................................................................. 87 Chapter 5 ...................................................................................................... 90 Experiences of RIs of Working with the CJS and Adult ID Witnesses ............... 90 Research Question and Rationale .............................................................. 90 Method ..................................................................................................... 93 Design ...................................................................................................93 Participants ..........................................................................................93 Materials ..............................................................................................94 Procedure .............................................................................................95 Analysis .................................................................................................... 95 Discussion ............................................................................................... 111 vi Strengths of the Study ............................................................................. 123 Contributions to Knowledge and Practice ................................................ 124 Chapter 6 .................................................................................................... 127 Experiences of Police Officers of Working with RIs and Adult ID Witnesses .. 127 Research Question and Rationale ............................................................ 127 Method ................................................................................................... 128 Design ................................................................................................ 128 Participants ....................................................................................... 129 Materials ........................................................................................... 129 Procedure