‘Appeal against findings of sexual abuse made against a father and his teenage son in the course of care proceedings relating to that boy and separate care proceedings relating to the three children of a different family. In addition to a detailed challenge to the judge’s analysis of the factual evidence in this particular case, the appeal raises the following more general issues:
a) The approach to determining whether a child witness should be called in the course of family proceedings following the Supreme Court decision in Re W (Children) (Family Proceedings: Evidence) [2010] UKSC 12; [2010] 1 WLR 701.
b) The weight to be given to defects in both the process and the content of ABE interviews conducted with child victims and witnesses (‘Achieving Best Evidence in Criminal Proceedings’ – Ministry of Justice March 2011).
c) The approach to be taken by those representing a child in family proceedings where that child is himself accused of being the perpetrator of abuse.
d) The basic requirements of due process necessary to meet the Article 6 fair trial rights of such a child during the investigation and any subsequent Family Court proceedings where he or she might properly be regarded as either a perpetrator or a victim or both.’
McFarlane, Glsoer, Macur LJJ
[2016] EWCA Civ 473, [2016] WLR(D) 270, [2016] 4 WLR 105
Bailii, WLRD
England and Wales
Children, Litigation Practice
Updated: 02 November 2021; Ref: scu.564447
