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[admin]

POST DATE
20/08/2009 18:34:33 The guidelines have been "upgraded" since 12 years ago and of course there are the relentless reports published advising this that and the next but as your post highlights, sometimes these are followed and sometimes not.

I really don't think the passage of time has made much difference, or that it is hugely different in one part of the UK from another. For me it's quite simple, if the rules, guidelines and procedures are not followed it will continue to happen. Though hugely stressful, traumatic and upsetting for adults affected it is the children who suffer the most, it must be sorted out and in my view the only way to do so is to hold those responsible to account.
 

[admin]

reg126

POST DATE
20/08/2009 19:54:54 Maybe my post was not clearly worded. The Child Interview that took place about 12 years ago in my opinion whould have satisfied the current guidelines in how it was conducted and all video taped.

 A recent request by the police to conduct a child interview at very short notice was made in which including 10 minutes travelling time in total   would be expected to take about half an hour.  Such a short interview can have very little validity and is more likely to provide misinformation than anything else . As the officer concerned had already shattered the childs trust it was not suprising the child refused to be interviewed.

 

[Judge dread]

POST DATE
20/08/2009 21:33:40 Welcome to the site reg126.   I hope you will find it to be helpful.

I do wish all child interviews were video taped.   Very often, particularly with children, it is not so much what they say, but the manner in which they say it, and often the gestures they use when trying to describe something.   

In fairness to all concerned I can't understand why this is not done as a matter of course!

I also feel that if the correct protocol is not adhered to, then it is doubtful if their interview should be admissable as evidence.

 

[Sandra Lean]

POST DATE
16/01/2010 00:47:05 Looking back over some of the previous posts on this subject, and in view of some of the developments in my own work and research in the last 6 months or so, I wanted to update my position, and share some of my thoughts.

We tend to think of child witnesses as children whose testimony is going to be used, in some shape or form, in court. It goes without saying that the treatment of many of these children has been beyond disgusting, beyond appalling, beyond virtually any description we can come up with.

Yet there is another aspect which has come to my attention more clearly in recent months. Or rather, should I say, two related aspects - firstly, that children grow up, and the effects of how they were treated as "child witnesses" impact not only on all other areas of their lives at the time, but on an ongoing basis, affecting their development, their maturing process, and shaping the teenagers/adults they will become. Secondly, there are an unknown number of "child witnesses" who have been subjected to the same treatment as those we have discussed, but whose testimonies or statements were never used in court - discarded, tossed aside, rubbished simply because they did not produce the "silver bullet" that the police and prosecution teams had hoped for.

I'll take each of these aspects in turn, although, obviously, there is a significant overlap between them.

Children grow up. Everything they experience shapes who they eventually become, and believe themselves to be. When children are lied to, manipulated, intimidated, interrogated, ignored, dismissed, misunderstood, and the multitude of other wrongs which accompany the treatment of children who become potential witnesses, those things become part of what they believe about themselves. But there is well documented research which shows that there are significant ages, or points of maturity, when children begin to understand things they were unable to understand previously - to question what they had previously accepted without question. This natural process causes untold suffering to children who have been treated in the manner I just discussed. Everything they previously believed is now called into question, accompanied by the most awful sense of "responsibility," guilt, disbelief, etc etc.

It is bad enough (and that is not nearly enough to describe the enormity of what these children suffer) for children who do, in the event, become actual witnesses. But for those who do not, who are dropped without expanation, apparently without reason, and without any support whatsoever, the long term effects are devastating. Even in adulthood, they are unable to find any sense of reason or closure, their lives are blighted with a weight which is far too heavy for them to carry - a weight which should never have been theirs to carry in the first place.

In the scramble to secure convictions at any cost, I would remind every police officer, every social worker, everyone who becomes involved with children who may be witnesses in criminal proceedings - this could be your child. One year, five years, ten years from now, what might be the outcome of what is being done to this child today. Please, please think about it.
 

[jane2452]

POST DATE
16/01/2010 10:01:09 Here here I couldn't agree with you more Sandra. I hope these professionals hear your plee and think on accordingly.
 

[admin]

POST DATE
16/01/2010 16:34:45 As everyone who knows me will understand, I am very passionate about this subject and appreciate only too well how much harm is done in this area with little or no regard given to the welfare of children by those partaking in what I can only describe as abuse. Not only abuse of process but when you consider the effect that studies show these actions have on children both immediately and later on in life, it amounts to abuse of the children themselves too.

Like Sandra says, children grow up. They will eventually ask awkward questions, and begin to understand what they could never be expected to at a more tender age when placed under more pressure than they ever should be. Michael Mansfield said in a recent interview on BBC's Hardtalk - "Eventually the truth will rise to the surface". It is very easy to concentrate our thoughts on those who are expected to appear in court, but I believe the children who speak the truth but are subsequently ignored will be equally devastated when they understand the significance of what they tried to say but were prevented from doing so.

Can you imagine the effect of being prevented from seeing a parent you loved for years, and the emotional turmoil that will ensue when you realise how wrong it has been and ALL of the people who are responsible? Betrayed by those you trusted, everything you believed as you grew up torn to shreds. The effect is obvious, these children will come to realise one thing, but in the process lose everything they ever knew about themselves and those around them. Their lives effectively are taken away from them and as always they are not the ones who chose it. Children don't decide to be born, we make that choice ourselves. The very least we should do afterwards is afford them with the respect and care they deserve so that they can grow up not regretting choices they never made themselves.

Please Please sign the petition and help us bring an end to this particular brand on injustice.
 

[Judge dread]

POST DATE
16/01/2010 23:05:29 Good evening Billy and Sandra.   I have just been reading your posts regarding Child Witnesses and I would endorse Jane's post wholeheartedly.

I have been researching this subject and found an article which I feel is highly relevant to the subject.

IBCR International Bureau for Children's Rights

Guidelines on child victims and witnesses of crime

http://www.ibcr.org/eng/the_un_guidelines_on_child_victims_and_witnesses_of_crime.html

Having read the article you can view the ECOSOC Resolution 2005/20 by clicking on the link from within.

In particular Paragraph 31(a) of the resolution re-inforces the need for Child Witnesses to be video recorded.

I feel it is imperative that these guidelines should be strictly adhered to in order to protect all concerned.

I personally feel that interviews involving Child Witnesses should not be admissable as evidence unless they are video recorded.

I wish you luck with your endeavours.   

Hopefully after reading this article, all members and visitors to your site will sign your petition and help protect child witnesses in the future.

http://www.wronglyaccusedperson.org.uk/petition2.aspx
 

[admin]

POST DATE
29/04/2010 21:20:30 Whilst doing some research into the area of child and vulnerable witness interviews earlier today, I stumbled upon this extremely interesting article. http://www.criminallawandjustice.co.uk/index.php?/Analysis/taping-witness-statements-for-truer-verdicts.html

Although the article is written from the perspective of guilty people wrongly being acquitted, it very clearly demonstrates the need to video record ALL interviews to assist the jury in deciding who is truthful and who is not. As I have said many times before, the same flaws which cause wrongful convictions also cause wrongful acquittals.

To help have the guidelines turned into manditory procedures, please sign the petition to protect child and vulnerable witnesses.

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gopetition.com%2Fpetitions%2Fsafeguard-child-witnesses.html&h=f2cf1
 

[admin]

NOTE TO ALL MEMBERS!

Please note that to ensure that each member only votes once, the poll has had to be restarted from the new server. This unfortuntely means that you will have to place your votes again.

[admin]

This is an example of a child "witness" interview, it is American but the same things happen here in this country.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkLHXKHb1Vc" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkLHXKHb1Vc</a>

What do you think? Interview or child abuse?

Petition to safeguard child and vulnerable witnesses