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

SB 333 allows child victims or witnesses under age 13 to have their out-of-court statements to qualified forensic interviewers admitted as evidence in criminal or juvenile court cases involving specific offenses, including child abuse, sexual assault, or crimes of violence. The bill expands existing rules to include statements made to trained forensic interviewers (not law enforcement) employed by child advocacy centers, subject to strict conditions. For admissibility, the statement must be offered by a qualified professional, the child must testify (except in child in need of assistance cases), and the prosecutor must provide advance notice of the statement’s use. This directly affects child victims in cases under Maryland’s Criminal Law Article sections covering abuse, sexual offenses, or violent crimes. The bill does not change the standard of proof but modifies how such statements may be used in court proceedings.