Citation

Dible DA, Teske RHC. J. Crim. Justice 1993; 21(1): 79-85.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1993, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/0047-2352(93)90007-A

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

On 17 August 1985 the District Attorney's office of Collin County, Texas established a victim-witness assistance program, including a special program and staff to work with the victims of child sexual abuse. An examination of all child sexual abuse cases prosecuted from 1983 through 1989 revealed that, subsequent to the introduction of the victim-witness program, the success rate at trial for cases of child sexual abuse almost doubled, from 38 percent to 72 percent; defendants were more likely either to plead guilty to or to be convicted of the more serious charge of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child; and the penalties assessed offenders increased significantly.