How the NICHD Protocol Creates Space for Children to Recount Their Own Memories

Paris – 22.07.2026: In a quiet room, an interview does not begin with questions about suspicions, but with an invitation to tell a story. A report published by franceinfo on Wednesday brought the NICHD Protocol into focus, a method used by French investigative authorities when interviewing children. It is a crucial task: listening to minors without allowing adults’ expectations to overshadow their words.

NICHD stands for the US National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. The protocol sets out a fixed sequence for interviews. First, the rules are explained: children may say that they do not know, do not remember, or do not understand a question. They must also be allowed to correct an adult’s words. Only then does the interview move on to the reason for the investigation.

Open-ended questions are at the core. Rather than providing details in advance, specially trained officers should ask children to describe, based on their own memories, what may have happened. Closed or leading questions should be avoided as much as possible. The French Gendarmerie describes this goal as double protection: reducing the risk of influence through questions and adapting the conversation to the child’s age and abilities.

This is not merely a matter of using the right tone. Young people’s statements can be highly significant in criminal proceedings, while they are also particularly vulnerable. The method therefore seeks to avoid turning an interview into an interrogation. Trust is built through neutral conversations and an initial invitation to describe an everyday experience in detail. This helps children understand that they do not need to guess which answer is expected.

French procedural law also establishes protective requirements. Under Article 706-52 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, interviews with minor victims in certain serious crimes must in principle be audio- and video-recorded during the investigation. The recording is intended to minimize the need for repeated interviews and to allow judicial authorities to later review the course of the exchange. The recording is confidential and may not be disseminated.

However, the NICHD Protocol does not determine guilt, nor does it replace other investigative steps. Its task is narrower but fundamental: to gather testimony as carefully as possible. Scientific studies on structured interviewing have concluded over many years that open invitations to narrate can lead to more detailed information and are more likely to stem from the interviewee’s own memory than questions that already imply an answer.

The current view of this practice is a reminder that protecting children also begins with language. For investigators, it requires discipline: patience rather than pressure, follow-up questions rather than interpretation. For children, it can mean that their words are not hastily translated into adult language. Especially where a statement may mark the beginning of legal proceedings, this is a matter of respect and care in accordance with the rule of law.