The Bakery Fire
A young worker said, "I burned the bakery." The police believe him. Do you? You have three rooms, a magnifying glass, and one chance to name the real person.
The briefing
At 2:40 in the night, a fire burned down a small family bakery. Three people had keys. Sami, the owner. Nour, his daughter, who does the money. And Tariq, a 19-year-old helper. The police asked Tariq questions for nine hours. Then he signed a paper. It said: "Sami shouted at me. I was angry. I walked to the bakery at 2 o'clock. It just happened."
Look in the bakery, the police room, and Sami's home office. Click on anything. Most things are nothing. Some things open up to show more. When you are sure, say who did it.
- There are 9 clues. 3 of them are hidden inside close-up views.
- Clicking everywhere costs you. Every 10 misses, your rank goes down.
- If you name the wrong person, the case ends. No second try.
- To be Chief Inspector: find all 9, use no hints, and get it right first time. Very few do.
Pick a room and start looking. Click slowly. The best detective looks in the places nobody else looks.
Say who did it
You must get all three right. One wrong answer and the case is over.
Please answer all three questions.
The real science
Why innocent people say "I did it"
- 1 in 4 innocent people said "I did it."Later, DNA proved they were innocent. Nobody hit them. They just sat in a room and said it.
- The room is built to do this.Small. Empty. No clock. You sit far from the door. It is all planned.
- Two tricks.First: "We have proof." In many countries the police can say this even when it is not true. Second: "Did you plan it, or did it just happen?" Both answers mean "I did it."
- Time tells the truth.Guilty people say "I did it" within 2 hours. Innocent people keep saying "no" for 6 hours or more, then break.
Watch the film this case comes from
Why Innocent People Confess by Mr. Orivo. 8 minutes. Full of pictures.
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Questions about false confessions
Do innocent people really say "I did it"?
Yes. About 1 in 4 people later proved innocent by DNA had said "I did it." Nobody hit them. Nobody tricked them with fake papers. They sat in a room and said it.
How long does it take?
Guilty people usually say "I did it" within 2 hours. Innocent people usually break after 6 hours or more. Why? Guilty people give up early. Innocent people keep trying to explain.
Can the police lie about proof?
In many countries, yes. In the United States, police can say "we have a video of you" even if there is no video. In England and Wales, this is not allowed.
Is the Bakery Fire a real story?
No. The bakery, the people and the town are made up. But the police tricks, the timing, and the reasons people break are all from real research.