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5113. Children and Sexual Abuse13.1. Determining the Verite of Childhood Sexual Abuse: the Problems for Courts,Clinicians and Law EnforcementMark J. Mills, Columbia University (mjmills@forensicsciences.com)As allegations of child sexual abuse/exploitation have become more frequent (and to some extent morecredible), it has become necessary for the law to develop acceptable methods to investigate such abuse.Interviews by clinicians and/or law-enforcement officials can easily distort childhood memories of whatoccurred and may complicate psychological recovery. This presentation examines a variety of troublesomeissues involving abused/exploited children from the perspectives of clinicians, attorneys and courts.Clinicians are typically most interested in helping the victim work through the experience and lessinterested in the verity of what occurred. Law enforcement typically takes the opposite tact: mostinterested in what actually occurred to bring perpetrators to justice and less interested in the clinical impactof what is assumed to be reasonable inquiry. Courts try to balance these two interests—bringingabusers/exploiters to justice while wanting to ensure that child testimony, if it occurs, is brief and notharmful to the child. In the “real world”, of course, the lines blur. What is difficult in the U.S. judicialsystem is that the accused has the right to confront the accuser—a principle that makes sense for two adults,but may be very difficult when the victim is a child and even gentle cross examination may compound thepsychological sequelae of the original event. These issues are made more complex by parents whooverreact to routine physical and sex play between children. More difficult still are the differences ininternational law that attempt to regulate such matters across international borders. These matters and morewill be discussed by the panel and the audience.13.2. Borders, Boundaries, & Barriers: Cross-Cultural Legal Issues in InternationalCases of Child Sexual AbuseDelissa A. Ridgway, U.S. Court of International Trade, New York, USA(delissa_ridgway@cit.uscourts.gov)Cases of child sexual abuse/exploitation have always implicated physical and psychological boundaries.But, increasingly, they cross geographic boundaries as well. In today’s globalized society, clinicians,courts and legal counsel around the world are beginning to grapple with the unique challenges ofinvestigating and prosecuting cases that span more than one country. This presentation will survey some ofthe complex cross-cultural issues that may be raised in such cases – ranging from linguistic barriers anddiffering psycho-social mores and taboos, to wide variations in legal standards and procedures on matterssuch as the rights of all interested parties, proper investigative and interrogation techniques, the requisiteburden and quantum of proof, admissibility of testimony and other evidence, the role of mental healthprofessionals, statutes of limitations, and disparate approaches to punishment and/or treatment of offenders,as well as issues of international judicial cooperation.