What characterizes a suspect interview?

A suspect interview is specifically characterized by questioning a person who is reasonably suspected of committing a crime. This process is crucial in the investigative phase, as it focuses on gathering information directly from individuals who may have been involved in criminal activity. Such interviews typically aim to obtain confessions, clarify circumstances, or gather evidence that might support or refute the suspicions against the suspect.

The core element of this interview type is the suspicion of the individual's involvement in a crime, which distinguishes it from other forms of interviewing, such as victim interviews, which focus on the experiences of those who have been harmed, or witness interviews, which gather information from individuals who observed the crime but are not suspected of involvement. Law enforcement officials conducting their own interviews also do not fall under the same category as suspect interviews, as their purpose and the nature of the questioning differ significantly.