Better system for child witnesses

Measures to improve the experience for child witnesses while they give evidence have been outlined by the Scottish Government.

The Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Kenny MacAskill, published renewed interview guidance for police officers and social workers and announced the roll out of visual recording equipment.

With the focus firmly on the best interests of the child, these new developments will help to ensure that the justice and children's hearings systems keep pace with modern life and provide better support for victims and witnesses, allowing them to give their best evidence and participate effectively in the process.

Mr MacAskill said:

"We know that giving evidence can be a traumatic experience for anybody, never mind for a young person who may already have gone through a disturbing time. That is why our goal throughout this process has been to reduce the trauma and improve support for children.

"The introduction of visual recording equipment will be an important step in reducing anxiety for child witnesses in the most serious and troubling cases. It will reduce the number of times a child is interviewed and provide a more accurate record capturing their exact words, tone of voice and body language which can be so important.”