Things have changed in Texas

Submitted by Pittsburg1 on
In recent months, there have been many news stories resulting from cases – both nationally and here in Texas – which focus on the failures within our justice system in the investigation and prosecution of child abuse cases, particularly child sexual abuse, in the early 1980s and 90s. Like most Americans, I find myself heartbroken for the victims who did not receive the justice and healing they deserved, and equally troubled by instances involving wrongful convictions resulting from bad evidence, usually resulting from the compromised statement of a child victim or witness. However, I also find myself encouraged by the progress that has been made in the way that investigations are conducted and the modern day practices which have transformed this process.
 
Twenty years ago, it was not unusual for a child who had the courage to report abuse to endure interview after interview from well-meaning but often intimidating authority figures or untrained interviewers. As each interviewer pursued a different class of evidence necessary to build a case, it was not unusual for eager-toplease children to adapt their stories to unintentional cues from interviewers, resulting in conflicting accounts and compromised cases against alleged perpetrators. Likewise, interviewers often had little professional training and support on how children make disclosures and recall experiences as there was simply little research in the field.or untrained interviewers. As each interviewer pursued a different class of evidence necessary to build a case, it was not unusual for eager-toplease children to adapt their stories to unintentional cues from interviewers, resulting in conflicting accounts and compromised cases against alleged perpetrators. Likewise, interviewers often had little professional training and support on how children make disclosures and recall experiences as there was simply little research in the field.
 
 
 
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