Final answer:
When questioning a victim, it is essential to avoid suggesting details or confirming their story as this can lead to misidentification, seen in Jennifer Thompson's case. Instead, information should be collected in a neutral manner to minimize bias. Victims should also be advised on privacy protection and identity theft vigilance.
Step-by-step explanation:
If anything, the one piece of information that you should ask the victim is to recount the incident without suggesting details or confirming their story, as encouragement or cues can inadvertently influence their memory and lead to misidentification. In Jennifer Thompson's case, the feedback from the detective likely reinforced her identification of Ronald Cotton, contributing to a conviction based on mistaken eyewitness testimony. To prevent such errors, law enforcement should be trained to collect eyewitness testimony in a way that minimizes suggestion and bias.
It's crucial to ask why information is being collected, how it is going to be used, and who will have access to it to protect the victim's privacy and avoid further trauma. Also, since errors in identification can have severe consequences, it's recommended that victims monitor their credit history for red flags that could indicate their identity has been compromised following criminal incidents.