Credibility Assessment pp 121-133 | Cite as
The Present State of Statement Analysis
Abstract
This chapter provides an overview of how psychological experts assess the credibility of child testimonies in the Federal Republic of Germany. To this end, I first describe the course of a criminal proceeding within the German inquisitorial legal system. The possibilities of protecting child witnesses from further harm as a result of the legal proceedings are worth noting within the limits of the laws that are imposed in Germany. Next I explain the role of the psychologist, who is usually appointed by the public prosecutor or the court of law and seldom by the defense. The individual psychological assessment and the special procedures used by the experts to differentiate between credible and noncredible testimonies are outlined. I conclude my contribution with a discussion of a few special problems, and present the results of my experience concerning the witnesses’ (including their parents) opinions about the experts’ assessments, and end with a discussion of some desiderata about criminal proceedings in cases of child sexual abuse.
Keywords
Child Sexual Abuse Psychological Assessment Criminal Proceeding Public Prosecutor Expert WitnessPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
- Arntzen, F. (1970). Psychologie der Zeugenaussage. Goettingen: Hogrefe.Google Scholar
- Steller, M., & Koehnken, G. (in press). Statement analysis: Credibility assessment of children’s testimonies in sexual abuse cases. In D.C. Raskin (Ed.), Psychological Techniques in Law Enforcement. New York: Springer Verlag.Google Scholar
- Steller, M., Raskin, D.C, Yuille, J.C., & Esplin, P. (in press). Sexually abused children: Interview and assessment techniques. New York: Springer.Google Scholar
- Szewczyk, H. (1973). Kriterien der Beurteilung kindlicher Zeugenaussagen. Probleme und Ergebnisse der Psychologie, 46, 47–66.Google Scholar
- Trankell, A. (1972). Reliability of evidence. Stockholm: Rotobeckman.Google Scholar
- Undeutsch, U. (1967). Beurteilung der Glaubhaftigkeit von Aussagen. In U. Undeutsch (Ed.), Handbuch der Psychologie. Bd. II: Forensische Psychologie. Goettingen: Hogrefe.Google Scholar
- Wegener, H., & Steller, M. (1986). Psychologische Diagnostik vor Gericht. Zeitschrift für Differentille und Diagnostische Psychologie, 7, 103–126.Google Scholar