A controversial police interrogation method that was implicated in a false confession is under fire from human rights lawyers, criminologists and psychologists. Mr X is repeatedly exhorted to be "a hero" like his father and make his children proud. Robert Lithgow, QC who represented Mr X, told RNZ there was nothing novel or problematic with a "cosy fireside chat" type interrogation. False confession expert Dr Andrew Evelo from Waikato University's psychology department said people being tortured might confess to anything just to make it stop. It was very hard to undo a confession, even a false confession that conflicts with the facts, he said.

Source: Stuff September 04, 2022 22:58 UTC