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Witness in Court: Can you help with stats on conviction rates?

by Mark Pathak
(Liverpool, UK)

I am a Social Worker in Liverpool, UK. I am coming over to Toronto in June to do a presentation about some work that I have been developing in Liverpool over the past 10 years or so about how to enable adults with a learning disability (a mental handicap) (or intellectual disability, as I think you call it in Canada) to give evidence in crown Court trials. The work has been so successful (80-85% conviction rate, often in 1 against 1 trials with no forensic evidence) that the powers that be want it adopted all over England and Wales.

I am trying to find out the conviction rates in Canada when the main witness-complainant has an intellectual disability.

Can you help at all?

Do you know if there are any schemes/laws/policies to help individuals in such a situation?

Regards

Mark Pathak

Note from Darlene: My answer to this Ask Darlene question "Witness in Court: Can you help with stats on conviction rates?" can be found at the last link below.

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Witness in Court: Can you help with stats on conviction rates?

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Apr 23, 2008
 Try keyword searches...
by: Darlene Barriere - Webmaster

I don't have statistics of this sort, Mark. I don't even know if anyone is keeping track of such data.

As for help for individuals in the situation you described, I suggest you try searching for keyword phrases such as "Victim services in Canada" and "Witness Services in Canada." A Google search just this morning for the phrase "Victim services for the disabled in Canada" yielded the following URL: http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/pi/pcvi-cpcv/pub/dir-rep/org.html

I hope you are able to find the information you are looking for, Mark, information that will assist you in your court room endeavours.

Darlene Barriere
Violence & Abuse Prevention Educator
Author: On My Own Terms, A Memoir
Apr 23, 2008
 Court and Evidence
by: Aunt Sandy

I was at one time a guardian ad litem for the court system, in the US.
Will the court there allow evidence to be presented by video? Or camera?
The human word, is a powerful, sometimes statements taken even in the simplest forms, like from a disabled adult or child can have an effect on a court. Not to mention, it would save having to face the accused. Many tend to clam up when they have to face an abuser, in any form. This way, by camera or video tape, you can spare the abused from having to look at the accused. And keep those who as part of their abusing from the satisfaction of making the victim relive the abuse.

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