Description
Most things Officers do in interrogations that lead to false confessions is legal:
lying about evidence
pretending to have evidence
accusing
yelling etc.
invading space
Should officers be allowed to use these techniques to obtain a confession? Why/Why not?
Explanation & Answer
No- this should not be allowed. It is up to the court to determine whether a person has committed a crime and to sentence him/her accordingly if guilty. Hostile interrogations using all sorts of pressure and torture techniques (hooding, water-boarding, white noise, sleep deprivation, threats, etc,) are bound to lead to confession, breakdown or death. It does not matter how heinous the crime, such techniques should not be used; they are against Human Rights. Recently Northern Ireland has taken the British Government to court over exactly such treatment to its citizens. By all means give the severest penalty possible for heinous crimes but only after a fair trial and the guilt of the accused has been established.