The intermediary system is a special measure designed to support the participation of vulnerable witnesses in the judicial system. In Chile, this model was initially incorporated in six regions with the application of Law 21.057 in October 2019. The measure establishes that a specially trained professional from the criminal justice system must facilitate communication during a trial between the court and child victims or witnesses of sexual or other serious crimes through the use of a linked room. This study analyses the perceptions of intermediaries and other members of the justice system in relation to the first year of implementation of the intermediary system based on information obtained through the use of focus groups and a survey. The results show an overall positive assessment of the experiences with and functioning of the ‘judicial intermediation’ and portray some of the best practices and facilitating conditions for the correct operation of the scheme as well as the difficulties and challenges for other Chilean regions and countries.

La Ley 21.057 introdujo la técnica de Entrevista Investigativa Videograbada (EIV) para prevenir la victimización secundaria de niños, niñas y adolescentes víctimas de delitos sexuales y otros delitos graves y recoger sus testimonios de manera adecuada y respetando sus derechos. Cerca de la mitad de los entrevistadoras/es acreditadas para realizar estas labores provienen de Carabineros de Chile y Policía de Investigaciones, por lo que resulta fundamental conocer sus competencias. En este estudio se evaluó a 61 profesionales quienes condujeron una entrevista simulada con intérpretes del rol de niños, niñas y adolescentes víctimas antes y después de su participación en sus Cursos Iniciales de Formación Especializada (CIFE), ejecutados entre 2018 y 2020. En línea con experiencias nacionales e internacionales, los resultados muestran que hubo un aumento sustancial de la formulación de preguntas que promueven el relato libre de las víctimas y una disminución significativa de las preguntas menos recomendadas o nocivas para estas. Se observaron también algunas ventajas en el desempeño de profesionales mujeres y con experiencia o conocimientos previos en EIV, relevando la necesidad de la formación y práctica continua para nivelar las competencias.

In Chile, Law 21.057 established in 2019 that, for criminal cases in which there is a child or adolescent victim of a sexual or other serious crime, professionals who take the evidence from the victim during the investigative interview and court testimony are required to be specially trained as interviewers and intermediaries, respectively. Although Chile has been progressively moving into a child-friendly justice system, the expertise and training on how to address victims who have particular communicative, emotional, cultural, or social needs have been rather limited. This study explores the challenges experienced by investigative interviewers and intermediaries with child victims from priority groups, through the lens of their instructors. The term "priority groups" encompasses people who require special protection because of a condition that puts them at a disadvantage. Using purposive sampling, 12 of the most experienced instructors were recruited, and five semi-structured group interviews were conducted remotely. Through thematic data analysis, eight categories of challenges were found. First, the study identified particular difficulties experienced by professionals with six groups of children and adolescents who are here called priority victims or members of priority groups: (1.1) preschool children, (1.2) victims with neurodevelopmental disorders, (1.3) victims with psychiatric disorders, (1.4) reluctant victims, (1.5) Indigenous and migrant victims, and (1.6) victims in complex contexts/crimes. Secondly, the analysis identified cross-cutting challenges for the professionals related to (2.1) difficulties remaining after their initial training, and (2.2) the unavailability of background information about the victims before the proceedings. The article emphasizes the need to strengthen advanced competences and training content regarding priority groups, to reinforce initial skills, and to refine guidelines to assess and address these victims adequately, in order to facilitate their access to justice.