Asbjørn Rachlew - lead interrogator of mass murderer, Anders Breivik

On 22 July 2011, Anders Behring Breivik blew up Norway’s government buildings. He then travelled 23 miles to the island of Utoya where, posing as a policeman, he shot everyone he saw.  By the end of the day 77 people were dead – 38 of them under the age of 20. Breivik was immediately taken into custody - but was threatening that this was just the beginning of an even bigger killing spree. Police Superintendent Asbjorn Raschlew was appointed to lead the interrogation of one of the deadliest individual mass murderers the world has ever seen.  The science of decision-making was at the heart of his questioning.

He explains: -

• The importance of questioning biases and the revolutionary shift in interrogation techniques that Norway adopted following the attack.
• The move away from confession-driven methods to a more research-based investigative interviewing technique, which focuses on gathering reliable information rather than forcing confessions. "We don't judge and we don't moralize."
• How the police had to navigate a complex web of emotions, public pressure, and the need for justice.
• The decision-making process was not just about determining guilt or innocence but about understanding the deeper motives behind the perpetrator's actions. This is where the concept of confirmation bias becomes crucial.
• The need to consider alternative explanations and question our initial beliefs.“Our minds are desperately looking for evidence to confirm our beliefs and opinions."

We learn that the methodology used was designed to stimulate communication and ensure that suspects felt listened to and respected, regardless of their crimes.

A stark contrast to the dramatized interrogations we often see in movies, it focuses on building rapport and gathering accurate information.

"Information is the lifeblood of the investigation."

References:

Asbjorn Rachlew’s book, A Guide to the Professional Interview https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Professional-Interview-Research-based-Methodology/dp/1785277987

Asbjorn Rachlew TEDx Talk https://youtu.be/1H8Mcku6adA?si=d63cLq5RkGSqQEBA

Professor Gisli Gudjonsson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%ADsli_Gu%C3%B0j%C3%B3nsson

The extract from the court proceedings is taken from here.

Bruce Whitfield is an award winning journalist, best-selling author and popular speaker. More here: www.brucewhitfield.com

The Art of Deciding has been featured in The Guardian Podcast Newsletter, Podnews, The List, and the Podbible newsletter. 

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Series Producer: Jayne Morgan

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