NCJ Number
193507
Date Published
2000
Length
200 pages
Annotation
This looseleaf manual presents the agenda, presenter biographies, and background reports and articles for a training program that took place for 1.5 days in February 2000 in Tucson, AZ, and focused on issues related to case processing and adjudication of child sexual abuse cases on American Indian reservations.
Abstract
The program examined why the legal system often failed child sexual abuse victims, the reliability of juvenile witnesses, Federal criminal laws and tribal criminal and civil laws on child sexual abuse, and case processing in Federal and tribal courts. Additional sessions focused on the prevalence of child sexual abuse in Indian country, the sociological factors, the cultural impact of child sexual abuse on Indian families, child sexual abuse investigations, Federal and tribal reporting requirements, interrogation of child victims, coordination between tribal and Federal authorities on pretrial release, issues related to family member attitudes toward testifying, evidentiary issues related to medical evidence, corroborating testimony, the use of hearsay exceptions, and services to abused children. The background materials include the text of tribal and Federal laws related to child sexual abuse and criminal procedures; Federal sentencing guidelines; an explanation of the Federal Victim-Witness Assistance Program; and a report on Federal, State, and tribal jurisdiction. Further materials present an indigenous perspective on wellness, a discussion of medicolegal issues in the medical evaluation of child sexual abuse, and an overview of issues related to psychological and scientific evidence in these cases. Footnotes