John Leech MP joins NSPCC in campaign to support child witnesses

John Leech, Liberal Democrat MP for Manchester Withington, has joined the NSPCC in calling on government to ensure that all child witnesses have the support they need to bring abusers to justice. The NSPCC says more money is needed to improve services in England and Wales, which are inconsistent and under-funded.1

Every year, 29,000 children - some as young as five - give evidence in court.2 Many fail to get proper services to support them through the confusion and distress of appearing as a witness. Some children say the experience is as traumatic as the abuse they have suffered.

One 14-year-old girl said: "I was anxious and scared about going to court and felt intimidated by the defendant. It was difficult to sleep and eat in the weeks before the trial. I started self-harming and was treated for depression by my GP."

John Leech MP has joined over 80 other Members of Parliament who have already signed an Early Day Motion (EDM 739) supporting this campaign in Parliament.

Courtroom processes can confuse and intimidate children, whose evidence is often crucial in convicting offenders. An NSPCC and Victim Support survey of 50 child witnesses revealed that half did not understand the words or phrases being used in court and almost as many had been accused of lying under cross-examination. 3

NSPCC director and chief executive Dame Mary Marsh said: "Abused children have already suffered horrific experiences. Facing court can reopen old wounds.

"Without support they are left vulnerable and ill-equipped to face interrogation in court and provide robust evidence to convict their abuser and achieve justice."

The NSPCC is asking its 80,000 campaigners and members of the public to help lobby for government action to support child witnesses. If you want to join the campaign please visit www.nspcc.org.uk/campaigning

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Notes to editors

1. All child witnesses receive full support in Crown Courts in Northern Ireland, where support services for young witnesses are government funded.

2. January 14, 2004 Victim Support Briefing on Domestic Violence Crime and Victims Bill for House of Lords Grand Committee.

3. In their own words: The experiences of 50 young witnesses in criminal court proceedings, Joyce Plotnikoff & Richard Woolfson, NSPCC and Victim Support, 2004

About the NSPCC's campaign

The NSPCC is asking its supporters to lobby Government to ensure that all child witnesses get support to help them through the criminal justice process, no matter where they live, enabling them to give their best evidence and to achieve justice.

· Campaigners will be asked to send a postcard to Baroness Scotland, Minister for Justice at the Home Office;

· MPs will be asked to sign Early Day Motion (EDM 739);

· Members of the public are invited to sign up in support of the campaign at www.nspcc.org.uk/campaigning

About the NSPCC Young Witness Services

The NSPCC has seven young witness support services, in Northern Ireland (where government funding has ensured a comprehensive service is provided for all young witnesses), Cheshire, Devon & Cornwall, Essex, Hull, Surrey and Swansea. Collectively, these projects support around 900 children each year.

The services support to the young person, before, during and after the trial, including meetings at the child's home and a pre-trial court visit to understand procedures and familiarise them with any TV link equipment. During the trial, the young witness is accompanied into the court room or TV link room by a volunteer Young Witness Supporter or the Young Witness Worker. The NSPCC also provides assessments to the court about the capacity and needs of the young witness. Post-trial follow-up work includes debriefing the young witness and their parents/guardians, and addressing onward referral issues, such as counselling or post-abuse treatment.

The NSPCC's Young Witness Services aim to:

· reduce the stress experienced by children and young people who may have to give evidence in court

· prevent further trauma that may be caused by their experience of the court and legal processes

· ensure, where possible, that the needs of young witnesses in general are given full and appropriate attention by the criminal justice system and professionals working in that system.

Other young witness support services

In 2005/06 Victim Support's Witness Services supported 28,959 children, of which 22% (6,436) were aged 14 or under. Other services providers include Barnardo's, Sussex Social Services and a consortium of Local Safeguarding Boards in Humberside.

Does it work?

Independent evaluations of the NSPCC's Northern Ireland Young Witness Service1 demonstrate that the service is highly valued by children and their parents/guardians; in particular they value the help it provides in reducing the stress and the trauma of preparing for court hearings including sentencing decisions. The professionalism and independence of the service is held in high esteem by key stakeholders within the judicial system:

Quote from child witness

"I couldn't have gone into court without the Service. Even after I gave my statement to the police I had doubts about being able to go to courts. They (the Service) go out of their way. They come to your house. I'm really grateful I had [a supporter]."

Quote from parent commenting about the support in Court and therapeutic follow-up service

"My child has come on so much. She was very, very quiet and withdrawn an awful lot whenever this [the offence] happened to her. Now she has left home, she is going on holiday, she has become very assertive."

Quote from solicitor:

"This firm has acted for defendants charged with offences and cases involving young witnesses. It would be our collective view that the NSPCC scheme is of considerable benefit to all concerned…The scheme's greatest benefit lies in the fact that the charity is an uninterested party as far as outcome is concerned and the entire focus of the scheme therefore can be directly trained upon the young witness...Unfortunately the criminal justice system is not necessarily attuned to the needs of these individuals and the work of the scheme helps to bridge the gap between the prosecuting authorities and the victims."

1 Evaluation of the Young Witness Service, Northern Ireland Statistics &Research agency, 2002 and Report of the Evaluation of NSPCC Young Witness Service, Social Services Inspectorate, 2006

2 Evaluation of the Young Witness Service, Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency, 2002