Criminal Procedure - Victims and Witnesses - Out of Court Statement of Child to Forensic Interviewer

HB 442 allows statements made by children under 13 to qualified forensic interviewers to be used as evidence in court for specific cases involving child abuse, sexual offenses, or neglect. It applies when the child is a victim or witness in cases under Maryland law (e.g., abuse under §3-601, sexual offenses under §3-303, or neglect under §3-602.1). For admissibility, the statement must be made to a trained forensic interviewer (not law enforcement, working at a child advocacy center), and the court must provide notice to the defendant and follow specific procedures, including requiring corroborating evidence if the child does not testify. This bill directly affects child victims/witnesses in criminal or juvenile court cases and changes how their out-of-court statements can be presented in court.