The Adolescent as a Witness in a Case of Incest: Assessment and Outcome

Children who have been victimized by sexual abuse are being asked regularly to testify against their sexual perpetrator. It is important to know whether some sexually abused children can testify competently without long-term negative psychological effects. This paper is a case study of a 14-year-old adolescent girl who suffered repeated sexual abuse from her grandfather. She was evaluated in a child witness project and given trial preparation. Her performance as a witness was assessed at her two trial appearances. She was evaluated after each court appearance and by phone 15 months later. A discussion of the legal and psychological assessment issues in the use of such children as witnesses is included.