Roger Williams University Law Symposium: Child Witnesses in Sexual Abuse Cases

How believable are children when they accuse someone of sexually abusing them? Can we tell when children are truthful, lying, or relating false memories implanted by adults? If a child has difficulty testifying eye-to-eye with an alleged abuser in open court, should the court allow the child to testify from the judge’s chambers by closed-circuit TV or permit adults – such as doctors, social workers, teachers, police – to testify about what the child told them? How are public opinion and the judicial system affected by media coverage of such cases? These are subjects of passionate controversy.

This symposium brings together leading researchers in the field – from law, psychology, public policy, and communications – for what promises to be a lively and important discussion.