Children to be spared anguish of going to court

CHILDREN in Scotland will no longer have to go through the trauma of going to court to give evidence, Scotland’s justice secretary has pledged.

Michael Matheson will outline his vision at an international conference on Wednesday, which will discuss an urgent need to reform how child witnesses are treated by the justice system in Scotland.

He will tell experts gathered at Tulliallan Police College in Fife: “My view is that children should be spared the trauma of giving evidence in a formal court environment. Indeed, I want to eliminate the need for children to attend court at all during the trial.

“Child witnesses should not have to worry about hearings that are cancelled or adjourned with little or no notice, and of trial dates which are rescheduled to suit parties other than themselves... We have a duty to protect the best interests of each child and young person and, as such, the criminal justice process should adapt itself to their needs.”

Matheson said the discussions at the conference would help shape how this was achieved in Scotland, but said “a move to the pre-recording of evidence” should ensure they are able to provide the “best evidence possible.”

Currently special measures can be requested for children up to age 18 and other vulnerable witnesses, such as giving evidence via videolink or behind a screen in court. But campaigners say children are still ending up in the witness box after being told it will mean a better chance of conviction.

One 13-year-old girl who faced a seven-hour wait to give evidence said: “I spent all day waiting in a dirty room. I felt scared the whole time.”

Anna O’Reilly, assistant director east for Children 1st, which is one of the charities organising the conference, said: “There have been attempts made to take account of children and vulnerable witnesses. But children and young people can still be traumatised by the current system. The changes in our current system haven’t gone far enough.”