The Italian crime writer Gianrico Carofiglio knows what he is writing about. As a public prosecutor, he interrogated criminals and also had to deal with the mafia
Mister Carofiglio, You were a judge and public prosecutor in Bari for many years, dealing primarily with organized crime. You have personally interviewed many a criminal. How do you do that?
I have to empathize with the person and make them feel like I understand what they have done. In such a conversation situation there is an enormous power imbalance. That’s why the first step must always be to balance this gap and meet each other on equal terms. This is the only way to make a conversation more likely.
Are you supposed to sympathize with, say, a suspected murderer?
Yes, establish a connection, convey to him: I understand what happened. It could have happened to many people. But that doesn’t mean I can justify a crime just to get a confession. That would be a huge ethical mistake. Such an interrogation is a difficult task. But I really enjoyed it!