Children’s testimonies: What influences prosecutions and convictions in sexual abuse cases?

Abstract The main objective of this study was to examine which factors regarding children’s testimony, at Barnahús in Iceland, influence prosecution and conviction of alleged sex offenders. The sample consisted of 542 cases of children interviewed between 1998 and 2012. Video recordings and reports of investigative interviews were analyzed by an expert interviewer, and information on prosecutions and convictions were obtained from court files. The results show that cases were more likely to be prosecuted when a child gave a detailed description of the alleged abuse. Cases were more likely to be convicted if the alleged abuse had occurred multiple times or had lasted more than a year. It is important for the judicial system to consider children’s communication and language difficulties when decisions are made. Sexual abuse cases, involving children, may be less likely to be prosecuted when children lack the ability to give detailed description of events.