The Garda Review, a policing practitioner publication in Ireland, features a two-page spread on the Méndez Principles and the launch of the Irish Méndez Centre for Investigative Interviewing in its November 2024 edition. The article was authored by the Centre’s co-directors and ImpleMéndez members, Prof Yvonne Daly and Dr Alan Cusack. They noted the background to and development of the Principles; the importance of effective, human-rights compliant investigative interviewing worldwide; the 2024 publication of the Manual on Investigative Interviewing for Criminal Investigation (validated by the UN Department of Peace Operations, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime); and our ImpleMéndez COST Action (CA22128). They set out the vision for the Irish Méndez Centre to become a dynamic hub for those who work in investigative interviewing, policymakers and related researchers. The Centre will work towards increased implementation of the Méndez Principles through organising training and information events, providing relevant public commentary and engaging in research on relevant matters with a variety of stakeholders. The Norwegian Méndez Centre for Investigative Interviewing was established on the same week as the Irish Centre, in September, and more Centres are at the planning stages. Each Méndez Centre will be networked to the others as they come on stream and will seek to exchange best practice and knowledge internationally.
The article explains also that following the official launch event for the Irish Méndez Centre in September, a closed training session was held for advanced police interviewers on interviewing suspects with autism spectrum disorder. This was facilitated by Dr Alan Cusack and ImpleMéndez members Dr Katie Maras and Prof Coral Dando. This publication, in a police practitioner magazine, aligns with ImpleMéndez aims to narrow the gap between academics, policy-makers and practitioners, and to disseminate information on the Méndez Principles with a view to furthering their implementation.