Garfield County system assists testifying children

ENID — Local courts soon may have a new way for abused children to testify in court.

A video system the Garfield County Child Advocacy Council has been working on is expected to be completed by this fall, said Executive Director Carole Wade.

Wade said children can testify in the group’s forensic interview room, where they feel more comfortable, rather than in a courtroom so they do not have the accused abuser staring at them. With the new system, a child’s testimony can be seen in a courtroom at the courthouse, which will allow the defendant to face his accuser and maintain his constitutional rights.

"Testifying in court causes anxiety for children, especially in the cases of abuse. It’s not just an incident of abuse, but the constant emotional abuse that goes with it,” Wade said.

Children who may have been abused currently are interviewed in the forensic room by specially trained law enforcement and child protective personnel.

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