SUGGESTION INFLUENCED DISTORTED TESTIMONY OF MINORS

Abstract

Suggestion is one of influences that may distort child witness testimony. Suggestion may originate from many sources, important ones being the childs parents, people who are trusted, the guardians as well as those who create the child’s way of perception o f the reality. One of the examples of an attempt of distorting child’s testimony is a situation of domestic violence in marital conflicts made public. Parents who experience difficult emotions and encounter own problems often include children into their conflict and try to influence their memories about the other parent. In disputes and family court proceedings children testimony is a common and important proof. Consequently, an adequate estimation of potential testimony distortions and certainty of testimony credibility are crucial. The paper contains a review of theoretical models of suggestion which use different psychological mechanisms to explain its course