”Det är ju inte stöld av tuggummi" : Att förhöra bortom svenska kontexter: En studie av nya utmaningar för svenska förhörsledare

Sammanfattning

This study examines one of the new and complex challenges that the Swedish Police have experienced in modern time.It focuses on the experiences of Swedish police interviewers, who also serve as investigators, when conducting interviews with Swedish former female foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs), also referred to as “FTF returnees” or “returnees”. Women who were part of the Islamic State in Syria and who, after returning to Sweden, have been prosecuted and convicted of crimes committed in Syria. The study was conducted through analysis of current cases and through interviews with police officers who have conducted interviews in one or more of the cases that the study includes. The results show that the Swedish interviewers experienced challenges related to culture and religion through these cases, as well as other challenges such as mental illness among the interviewed persons and difficulties in dealing with crime victims. The competencies that the interviewers assessed as most relevant in the given context were an understanding of religion and culture, the importance of being well-informed and having solid experience as an interviewer. The study also shows that Swedish interviewers have received uneven and limited training in interviewing techniques, as well as in the application of relevant scientific research findings. In this case, relevant scientific research on interviewing in cultural and religious contexts. The success of the interviewers who participated in the study appears to be more closely related to the interviewers' personal commitment than to the tools they have received from the Swedish Police Authority. The study can be viewed as an example of a context that placed specific demands on the Swedish Police and the officers involved in the cases. In future situations, the context may differ, making it important for the Swedish Police to be properly equipped to handle such specific challenges with the relevant knowledge and skills.