This article examines nineteenth-century evidence and criminal law reforms that sought to balance the need for more young children to give evidence in court with the need to test their truthfulness. This period closely mirrors the current atmosphere in the aftermath of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, fears of false allegations and the #metoo movement. Drawing on case law, legislation, parliamentary debates, and newspaper reports, this article demonstrates how new unsworn testimony provisions allowed more children to be heard while, contrary to all intentions, associated corroboration reforms made prosecuting child sex offences harder than ever.

中文翻译：

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检验法律和检验儿童的证据：19 世纪的佐证改革和儿童证人证词

本文考察了 19 世纪的证据和刑法改革，这些改革试图在更多幼儿在法庭上作证的需要与检验其真实性的需要之间取得平衡。这一时期密切反映了皇家委员会对儿童性虐待的机构反应、对虚假指控的恐惧和#metoo 运动之后的当前气氛。本文借鉴判例法、立法、议会辩论和报纸报道，展示了新的未经宣誓的证词条款如何允许更多的儿童听到，而与所有意图相反的是，相关的佐证改革使起诉儿童性犯罪比以往任何时候都更加困难。