During a final two-day conference on 13 and 14 November 2014 in Antwerp, Belgium, the findings of the Co-Minor-IN/QUEST project will be presented.

Keynote speakers from various professional fields (police, justice, psychology, child support and interpreting) will discuss current practices in interpreter-mediated communication with children, particularly in the pre-trial phase of criminal cases.

The CO-Minor-IN/QUEST project focuses on vulnerable victims, suspects and witnesses under the age of 18 (vulnerable because of two reasons: age and native language) and how to provide the necessary information, support and protection to this group. It involves partner universities and organizations in six European countries:

• Belgium (KU Leuven)
• Netherlands (Ministerie van Veiligheid en Justitie, Raad voor Rechtsbijstand)
• France (ISIT)
• United Kingdom (Heriot-Watt University)
• Italy (Università di Bologna)
• Hungary (Eszter)

In a joint presentation, special attention will also be paid to working with particularly vulnerable children. The project partners will outline the results of a survey and elaborate on the main research topics, such as the interpreter’s role, interpreting mode, (de)briefing and support, and joint training. Based on these findings, recommendations will be formulated for all stakeholders and Member States.

In between presentations, all conference participants are invited to participate in the plenary question and answer sessions, where there will be opportunity for discussion and exchange of information and experiences.

The main purpose of this conference is not only to disseminate the results of the research project, but also to promote an interdisciplinary exchange of knowledge and best practices in the field of interpreter-mediated child interviewing.

For more information, including the programme and how to register (early bird fee until 15 October) see the project website here.