Investigative Interviewing and Anti-Doping Developments in Australia

Abstract

Doping in sport is banned under a series of international and national rules. The detection of doping has traditionally been conducted through the analysis of urine and blood samples. This strategy is now widely recognised as having failed, with many doping athletes successfully evading detection. In early 2013 the Australian Crime Commission released a report (Organised Crime and Drugs in Sport) which highlighted the growing links between organised crime and sport. The immediate response from the Australian Government has been to introduce new investigative powers (including coerced testimony) that put sports doping into the serious crime category. This paper explores the opportunities for investigative interviewers to contribute to anti-doping efforts. It reviews some of the recent national and international legislation that govern anti-doping, highlighting the ways in which investigative interviewing has come to assume a key role in anti-doping efforts.