Greater Knowledge Enhances Complainant Credibility and Increases Jury Convictions for Child Sexual Assault.

ABSTRACT: Child sexual assault (CSA) cases reliant on uncorroborated testimony yield low conviction rates. Past research demonstrated a strong relationship between verdict and juror CSA knowledge such as typical delays in reporting by victims, and perceived victim credibility. This trial simulation experiment examined the effectiveness of interventions by an expert witness or an educative judicial direction in reducing jurors' CSA misconceptions. Participants were 885 jurors in New South Wales, Australia. After viewing a professionally acted video trial, half the jurors rendered individual verdicts and half deliberated in groups of 8-12 before completing a post-trial questionnaire. Multilevel structural equation modeling exploring the relationship between CSA knowledge and verdict demonstrated that

SUBMITTER: Goodman-Delahunty J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8417353 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature