Litigating a Child Sex Abuse Case

This course examines issues involved in litigating a child sex abuse case. Attorney Amy Marion focuses on child sex abuse syndromes and the treatment of the admissibility of child abuse syndrome testimony by courts all over the country. She helps develop tools on how to attack this evidence when introduced in court and techniques for litigating these cases before trial. Issues related to the interviewing of child witnesses, the national guidelines regarding the interviewing of child witnesses, suggestiveness and memory (as related to litigating these cases), and sample questions for the interviewer as well as for the child abuse expert are also addressed.  

Learning Objectives:

I.     Develop the tools necessary to litigate a child sex abuse case

II.    Understand the scientific research involved in child abuse litigation

III.   Recognize various Courts’ treatment and guidelines for the admissibility of child abuse syndrome testimony

IV.   Appreciate what a forensic interview is, how to examine a forensic interviewer, and the National Guidelines 

V.    Identify the issues related to child witnesses, issues of suggestiveness, and issues related to memory