Researcher studying children's reliability as crime witnesses

When it comes to children, their testimony and its role in the justice system, they can be reliable witnesses, according to one researcher.

"While [children] sometimes report less information than adults, the information that they do report is very accurate," KailaBruer told CBC Radio'sThe Morning Editionon Thursday.

Brueris a researcher from Regina who is now based in Toronto. She has studied children's memory at both the University of Regina and University of Toronto.

The problem with a child's testimonyespecially if they're younger than five years oldlies in their suggestibility, Bruer said. A child may be coached to say something by a parent or guardian, or told not to say something.

For instance, children are more likely to pick an innocent person out of a police lineup than an adult. Bruer said it might be due to a power dynamic in a particular room if a parent or officer is present.

"The child might feel pressure to choose somebody in order to be helpful," she said.

Another issue is that the task may just be too complicated for the child.

Bruer said she has proposed a new lineup technique in which children are shown a pair of faces rather than lining up suspects all at once.

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