Child abduction murder investigations: an exploration of investigative barriers from the perspective of the Senior Investigating Officer

Purpose Child abduction murder (CAM) is a rare offence within the wider spectrum of child victimisation offences, yet its occurrence carries catastrophic consequences for victims’ families, police officers and society in general. Its complex and infrequent nature indicates that there is limited knowledge available to investigators and academics. The present study addressed this paucity of literature by examining the investigative difficulties experienced by Senior Investigating Officers (SIO) from the UK during CAM cases. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews with eight SIOs who had investigated a major CAM case were thematically analysed to identify the challenges faced by investigators during such investigations. Findings Three cross-cutting themes of investigative challenges were identified: Media Management, Organisational and Procedural Complexity and Operational Stressors, each with their own subthemes and constructs. The identified themes are areas of research in their own right, which if examined in future research, have the potential to assist in the continued improvement of CAM investigations. Originality/value The current study addresses a heavily under-researched form of criminal investigation and is the first to directly explore the investigative challenges synonymous with CAM investigations. The findings highlight areas that investigative agencies need to address to improve investigative practise.