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Monday, September 12, 2011
Ind. Courts - "Children to testify by closed-circuit TV in molest trial"
Mark Wilson has the story today in the Evansville Courier & Press. Some quotes:
Two children won't have to directly face the woman accused of molesting and abusing them when they testify in her trial Wednesday.Instead, the children will testify by closed circuit television. Vanderbugh County Deputy Prosecutor Mike Perry said it is the first time such a procedure will be used in the county. * * *
Indiana law allows use of closed circuit television for testimony from alleged victims in certain cases if the witness see the person accused and the person accused can see and hear the person testifying.
In a Sept. 6 order, Vanderburgh Circuit Court Magistrate Kelli Fink ruled that requiring them to testify in the woman's physical presence "would create a substantial likelihood of emotional and mental harm to these people."
A foster parent of both girls testified in a hearing last month that the girls reacted with fear and anger when the woman was mentioned and that one of the girls believed she may not be safe from her, according to court records.
In addition, a counselor working with the children said that "testifying in front of (her) would be very damaging to these children and that the children could be retraumatized and become extremely fearful."
She testified that was more likely to happen if they were in the same room than if they were testifying by camera from a different room.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on September 12, 2011 07:01 PM
Posted to Indiana Courts