Eddie López-Pelén
Article 40, paragraph 2 (b) (vii) of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child states that in the administration of juvenile justice children have the right to free assistance of an interpreter whenever they do not understand or speak the language used in the proceeding. In like manner, the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) not only asserts that EU+ States guarantee that children have access to an interpreter throughout the international protection procedure, but also that interpreters should be trained on interpreting for children. Research on interpreting for children in legal settings shows that interpreters do not always approach children in a child-sensitive fashion (Mathias and Zaal 2002; Keselman et al. 2008; Keselman et al. 2010a; Keselman et al. 2010b; Linell and Keselman 2012) and stakeholders involved in legal proceedings such as legal practitioners, social workers, and interpreters themselves have recognized the need for training on how to work with children (Balogh and Salaets 2015). However, research has yet to find out the rationale behind the interpreters’ approach with children and the extent to which their approach with children is different from their approach with adults. This paper discusses factors behind the decision-making of interpreters when interpreting for children and significant aspects that influence their approach. This presentation draws on semi-structured interviews carried out with legal interpreters who have worked with children in legal proceedings in international protection, police, and court settings.
Keywords: legal interpreters, children, international protection, police stations, courts.
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