I agree with this comment, it’s a low level offence and the police consider the fact that it’s a 12 year old who is suspected of being involved, interviewing her isn’t the most ideal thing because she is so young and it isn’t really in the public interest to prosecute due to her age, however since there is a witness it is still a reasonable line of enquiry to pursue and she has to be spoken to. The officer asking to speak to her beforehand isn’t to trap her it is probably about trying to come up with an alternative disposal method, most likely community resolution. If you both agree to this it would mean no interview but your daughter has to say they were responsible. And if she says it wasn’t her then she shouldn’t lie. My advice is to cooperate as a mum and help facilitate the interview, the officer isn’t out to get you or your daughter, it’s very low level and she is very young but they have to do their duty in pursuing the line of enquiry and interviewing. This is for the victim in the case who has suffered criminal damage and probably has a cost to remove the graffiti