House panel advances Hornberger’s bill protecting children in abuse cases

The House Judiciary Committee has advanced legislation introduced by state Rep. Pamela Hornberger to bring additional clarity to legal matters involving the allegation of child abuse.

Hornberger’s measure is part of a three-bill bipartisan package requiring all forensic interviews conducted with children involved in abuse and neglect investigations to be recorded on video. Specifically, her bill allows recorded interviews to be used in certain court hearings, provides protocols for accessing and storing the recordings and increases penalties for intentionally disseminating recorded interviews to unauthorized individuals.

“The children who are involved in these cases are extremely vulnerable,” said Hornberger, of Chesterfield Township. “Recording forensic interviews spares children the additional stress of having to relive the traumatic events over and over during multiple interviews.”

Hornberger said the reforms require a best practice meant to ensure that all jurisdictions are following the proper standards and procedures.

“It’s essential to ensure that absolutely no deception or coercion is occurring during the forensic interview process,” Hornberger said. “Having a recording on hand guarantees there is an accurate record of the child’s account of events for the evidence.”

House Bills 4298, 4299 and 4300 now move to the full House for consideration.