NCJ Number
145102
Journal
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse Volume: 1 Issue: 3 Dated: (1992) Pages: 109- 113
Date Published
1992
Length
5 pages
Annotation
The judge in the Harrison County (MS) Family Court writes about what his court has done to combat child sexual abuse.
Abstract
In 1982, the court handled only 12 child sexual abuse cases. By 1984, children were beginning to cry out for help, and awareness of the problem was much greater. In 1986, the court handled 214 such cases. Over the years, more than 90 percent of these cases have been nondomestic, rather than domestic. Often, the most important voice--that of the child victim--was never heard in court because the child was too young, too frightened, or too overwhelmed to testify. Thus, in 1986, the court embarked upon a protocol which it uses to this day. Its cornerstone, Rule 706, Mississippi Rules of Evidence, grants the court the option to appoint an expert witness whether or not such has been requested. It also entails placing the child in a neutral environment, away from the influences of parents caught up in domestic relations controversies (e.g., divorce), or, in nondomestic cases, away from a situation in which the nonperpetrating parent commonly aligns with the perpetrator and impedes investigation. In the neutral environment, the expert witness hears and preserves the child's statement. Contrary to the expectations of some, the child victims have generally been cooperative. This procedure helps ensure that the case is kept open and the child¦s voice is heard.