When An Accuser’s Testimony Is The Only Evidence
Forensic evidence has come a long way in the past century. To appreciate this, try watching true crime documentaries about crimes that occurred in the 19th century or earlier. For example, in the 1830s in Scotland, four people were accused of killing people in order to supply bodies for surgeons to dissect in the newly opened anatomy lab at the college of medicine. Prosecutors alleged that the defendants had gotten their victims drunk and then smothered them when they were asleep. In those days, it was impossible to prove or disprove by physical evidence that someone had died by asphyxiation or was under the influence of alcohol at the time of death. Today, forensics labs can run toxicology tests and identify DNA with great accuracy, even if it is decades old and only present in trace amounts, though. Cases where verbal testimony was the only evidence used to be common, but now they are the exception to the rule, but they still happen. If you are being accused of a sex offense, and the only evidence against you is witness testimony, contact a Pittsburgh sex crime lawyer.
Corroborating Accusers’ Testimony in Sex Crime Cases, Or Casting Doubt on It
Most survivors of sexual assault and sexual abuse do not speak out about it immediately after it happens, especially if they are young and vulnerable to intimidation. Recent laws have extended the statutes of limitations in many jurisdictions on cases related to sexual abuse of minors. Therefore, the chances of getting criminal charges related to allegations of long-ago incidents of sexual offenses are greater, but it is more difficult to prove these allegations. A medical examination of the accuser shortly after the alleged assault can provide strong evidence; prosecutors can present evidence in the form of photographs of the accuser’s injuries and DNA samples collected from the accuser’s body and clothing. If the alleged assault happened months or years earlier, this evidence is not available, but other witnesses may corroborate the accuser’s testimony or contradict it with their own testimony.
In the News
In May 2024, a jury acquitted James Ziegler, an assistant principal at a Pittsburgh school, of charges of sexual abuse of a student. A fourth grader told his parents that Ziegler had abused him during lunchtime detention sessions in a classroom where no one else was present. The prosecutors said that the boy’s testimony was as precise as one could expect from someone his age; no one expects a 10-year-old to remember 10 different dates on which he had detention over the course of a school year. Ultimately, the jury acquitted Ziegler based on the defense’s arguments that the room where the alleged abuse occurred had large windows, and school employees walked past frequently, so it is unlikely that multiple assaults could have occurred without any other school employees noticing.
Contact Gary E. Gerson About Criminal Defense Cases
A criminal defense lawyer can help you if you are facing criminal charges where witness testimony is the only available evidence. Contact the law offices of Gary E. Gerson in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania about your case.
Sources:
cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/former-pittsburgh-public-school-teacher-acquitted-sexual-assault/
triblive.com/local/jury-weighs-dueling-narratives-in-sex-assault-case-against-ex-pittsburgh-teacher/
