Child Testimony Must Be Believed (From Child Abuse: Opposing Viewpoints, P 179-185, 1994, David Bender and Bruno Leone, eds. -- See NCJ-159823)

• NCJ Number: 159844
• Author(s): B W Dziech; C B Schudson
• Date Published: 1994
• Length: 7 pages
• Sale Source: Greenhaven Press
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Opposing Viewpoints Series

Annotation

Prosecutor misunderstanding of children and the predisposition of jurors to doubt children's testimony make it difficult for young victims of abuse to receive justice in the legal system.

Abstract

In examining children's testimony in light of information on child development, the authors indicate that children can and do give reliable testimony. Prosecutor reluctance to pursue cases that rely on children's testimony is often reluctance born of misunderstanding. Many child molesters are never brought to trial because prosecutors know juries are predisposed to doubt the testimony of children. Adults who doubt children because of false assumptions about their perception, memory, suggestibility, and truthfulness cannot fairly evaluate their testimony in the courtroom. Two basic questions are raised and discussed that concern whether children lie and whether children's memories are easy to manipulate, and the authors conclude that child testimony must be believed.