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.