Experts Back U.S. Law to Shield Abused Children From Insensitive Court System

Experts told a Senate panel Tuesday that child victims of incest, rape and other sexual abuse must be protected by federal law from an insensitive judicial system that too often inflicts on them additional trauma.

Most witnesses appearing before the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on juvenile justice said they favored enactment of the Child Witness Protection Act, sponsored by Sen. Jeremiah Denton (R-Ala.). Current judicial practices allow “an over-zealous defense attorney to intimidate, confuse and badger” child victims, Denton said.

Ellen Greenberg of the American Psychological Assn. testified in favor of the bill, which is aimed at protecting about 1.4 million children who fall victim to abuse each year. She urged allowance of a child’s testimony on videotape, use of hearsay evidence at preliminary hearings and appointment of volunteer advocates for children.

But a Justice Department official testified against enactment of the law, which would provide $10 million to encourage states to implement protective reforms in the investigation and adjudication of child abuse cases.

Assistant Atty. Gen. Lois Haight Herrington told the panel that funds and procedures already are in place to deal with the problem.

Herrington said grant funds have been invested to educate the criminal justice system and urge the amending of state laws and procedures that she acknowledged “too often serve only to victimize the children again.”