Bill on new legal protections for child victims, witnesses passes first hurdle

Senate Homeland Security, Justice and Public Safety Committee

ST. CROIX — The Senate Homeland Security, Justice and Public Safety Committee vetted a measure put forward by At-Large Sen. Angel Bolques Jr. and Sen. Dwayne DeGraff to enshrine new legal protections for children who are the victims or witnesses of crimes.

“The purpose of this bill is to encourage and ensure that our legal system treats our youngest and most vulnerable citizens with dignity, sensitivity and care,” Bolques said, “that they actually deserve during traumatic legal proceedings.”

Bolques said the bill, called the Child Victims’ and Child Witnesses’ Rights Act, would accomplish that by allowing children to testify via closed-circuit television rather than in person or, when necessary, in recorded videos. The bill would also tighten privacy protections and limit the reproduction of certain harmful materials during legal proceedings.

The measure also introduced multidisciplinary child abuse teams — comprising representatives from health, social services, law enforcement and legal agencies — to coordinate assistance during child abuse cases. Another part of the measure calls for courts to appoint a guardian ad litem in such cases.