Assistant District Attorney Wichita County District Attorney's Office
Tying children to a chair for hours or days, beating them with extension cords, pushing their head underwater so they can't breathe; this type of abuse causes extreme trauma to the victims, which makes building a case upon their testimony difficult. The complexity of child torture cases makes effectively investigating, convincingly prosecuting, and adequately punishing these defendants difficult. This session will examine essential investigative steps, charging decisions, proving childhood PTSD as a Serious Mental Injury, case presentation, and arguing these cases to a jury.
Learning Objectives:
Consider investigative steps to corroborate the child torture
Build a case to prove PTSD is a serious mental injury
Examine trial strategies to show extensive injury without relying solely on child testimony
