Identification Parades

Incidental identification

Between ten and twenty minutes

Two women described the perpetrators and pointed out two men who matched the description

<p>To link perpetrators to the crime through positive identification by victims and/or witnesses.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>An impartial police official who is not involved with the investigation.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Everything that occurs during the parade.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The suspect's legal representative, an interpreter if necessary, a police photographer or video camera operator, witnesses who are minors, and two other impartial police officials if deemed useful.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Photograph identification is desirable when the police have a solid suspicion who committed the crime, but the suspect is not in custody, or when a fair identification parade cannot be conducted.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The main objectives of an identification parade are to test the ability of the witness to recognize the alleged perpetrator and to eliminate the element of suggestion.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The most important principle of an identification parade is fairness towards the suspect, which can only be guaranteed if the standard procedures are followed.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>A practical example of incidental identification is when witnesses provide a physical description of a suspect and the suspect is returned to the crime scene for identification by the witnesses.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The standard operating procedures dictate that if a one-way glass window facility is available, every person in the line-up must be provided with a board containing a distinctive number. The witness must identify the relevant person by mentioning the number on the board. If such a facility is not available, the witness must physically touch or point at the person or use other acceptable methods to point out the suspect. A photograph must be taken of the act of identification.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Witnesses should be advised that they are not obliged to identify anyone in the line-up and should take care not to identify the person who most resembles the suspect. They should be aware that the suspect may not even be in the line-up and should not confer with any other witnesses who will be viewing the identification parade.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The supervisor should record the time taken by the witness to point out the person in the lineup, as well as the reaction of the witness and the comments/reactions of the person being pointed out. The supervisor's service number, rank, and name should also be recorded on the SAP 329.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The supervisor should state that the parade was conducted by them, that the details on the SAP 329 are correct, and that the SAP 329 is a fair and accurate description of the procedures that took place.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>If a one-way vision glass window is available, every person in the line-up must be provided with a board containing a distinctive number. The witness must identify the relevant person by mentioning the number on the board. If such a facility is not available, the witness must walk up and down and inspect every person thoroughly, and then identify the person by placing their hand on their shoulder or identifying the number around their neck.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The requirement for physical contact was discontinued to eliminate any possibility of the witness being misunderstood.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The supervisor should add the important words 'if such person is present'.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Witnesses should be advised that they are not obliged to identify anyone in the line-up, and that they should take care not to identify the person who most resembles the suspect. They should also be informed that the suspect may not even be in the line-up, and that they should not confer with any other witnesses who will be viewing the identification parade.</p> Signup and view all the answers