An exploration of the ethical framework of expert witnesses in child victim court cases

Abstract

Presidential Promise “I will propose to cabinet that all crimes against women and children should attract harsher minimum sentences. We agree with the women of the country that the state should oppose bail and parole for perpetrators of rape and murder against women and children.” - President Cyril Ramaphosa, SUNDAY TIMES, September 8 2019. Violent acts are daily committed against children. Accordingly, it is imperative to focus on violence against children, but more specifically on the expert testimony of professionals in court cases relating to children affected by violence. Violence is widespread in South African society. South Africa has been described as having the highest prevalence of violence and violence-related injury in the world among countries where this is measured. Limited research is available on an ethical framework for expert witnesses in child victim court cases. The expert witness plays a critical role in child victim cases and court proceedings, and experts must, therefore, act professionally and meet the necessary ethical standard in delivering expert testimony. This study is approached from the angle of deontological theory, the aim of which is to ensure truthful evidence to the judge in court. Deontological ethics encapsulates moral obligation and underpins duty for duty’s sake, virtue as its own reward and letting justice be done though the heavens fall. This explorative qualitative study contextualises violent crimes committed against children and the role and duties of expert witnesses to deliver professional and high-quality testimony. The study aims to explore the ethical framework of the professionals who stand as expert witnesses in child victim court cases. Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory is used in this study as it stresses the significance of exploring children in the framework of various settings. The system theory creates an understanding of the social phenomenon of violent crimes committed against children. Themes which emerged during the study are the importance of the qualifications and experience of expert witnesses; the impact that expert witness testimony has in case matters; the necessity for expert witnesses working with children to be trained in court case proceedings; the professional, ethical codes of expert witnesses; and the professional role of the expert witnesses. Participants have provided information concerning the three research questions of this study, namely how violent crimes against children manifest, what ethical complexities exist when working with children in violent crime cases and what aspects a possible ethical framework should include in guiding the expert witness in child victim court cases, for experts to engage in such a forensic process. This study added rich information about expert witness testimony in violent crime cases committed against children and provided an ethical framework for experts working in the field. This study unpacked the importance of expert testimony in court cases concerning children affected by violent crimes. It provided meaning to the critical involvement of professionals standing as expert witnesses where violence have been committed against children.

Isithembiso sikaMongameli: “I will propose to cabinet that all crimes against women and children should attract harsher minimum sentences. We agree with the women of the country that the state should oppose bail and parole for perpetrators of rape and murder against women and children.” – nguMongameli Cyril Ramaphosa, icaphunwe kwiphephandaba le-SUNDAY TIMES, kuMandulo 8, 2019. Izingane zihlukunyezwa ngodlame nsuku zonke. Ngokwengqubo eyejwayelekile, kusemqoka ukuthi kugxilwe kudlame olubhekiswe kwizingane, kanti ikakhulu kugxilwe phezu kobufakazi obunqala bosolwazi emacaleni asenkantolo amayelana nezingane ezihlukunyezwa wudlame. Udlame lugcwele izwe lonke eNingizimu Afrika. INingizimu Afrika kudala ichazwa njengezwe elinenani eliphezulu lezenzo zodlame kanye nezigameko zokulimala ngodlame emhlabeni, uma ilinganiswa namanye amazwe omhlaba. Kunocwaningo oluncane kwisakhiwo semigomo yokuziphatha kofakazi emacaleni enkantolo abandakanya izingane njengezisulu. Ngakho-ke, ufakazi onobungoti udlala indima esemqoka emacaleni ezingane eziyizisulu, kanti izingqubo zasenkantolo kanye nosolwazi, kufanele basebenze ngendlela eqeqeshekile futhi bahambisane namazinga afunekayo okuziphatha kahle uma bethula ubufakazi ngobungcweti. Lolu cwaningo ludingidwa ngokusebenzisa ithiyori i--deontological theory, kanti inhloso yayo le thiyori ukuqinisekisa ukuthi kwethulwa ubufakazi obuyiqiniso phambi kwejaji lasenkantolo. Imigomo yokuziphatha yethiyori ye-deontological ethics ifaka phakathi ukuzibophelela ngokwehlukanisa okuhle nokubi kanye kanti lokhu kuxuba ngokomsebenzi nomsebenzi; kufanele kufinyelelwe kwimpokophelo yethiyori, ubulungiswa kufanele benziwe , noma kumnyama kubomvu. Lolu cwaningo oluphenyayo olwencike kwingxoxo lwehlukanisa izehlakalo ezahlukene zodlame olubhekiswe kwizingane kanye nendima kanyennomsebenzi wofakazi abangosolwazi uma bethula ubufakazi obuqeqeshekile kanye nobufakazi bezinga eliphezulu. Ucwaningo luhlose ukuphenya uhlaka lwemigomo yokuziphatha lkwabasebenzi abangosolwazi abavela njengofakazi abangosolwazi emacaleni ezisulu eziyizingane. Ithiyori yohlelo lwe-ekholoji lukaBronfenbrenner isetshenziswe kulolu cwaningo njengoba yona igcizelela ukubaluleka kokuphenya izingane ngaphansi kwezizinda ezahlukene zesakhiwo. Ithiyori yezinhlelo yakha ulwazi olumayelana nodaba lwabantu lwamacala anezenzo ezinodlame aqondiswe kwizingane. Izindikimba ezivele ngesikhathi socwaningo zona zigcizelela ukubaluleka kweziqu kanye nolwazi lofakazi abangosolwazi; umthelela wobufakazi bofakazi emacaleni; isidingo sofakazi abangongoti abasebenza ngezingane ukuba baqeqeshwe ngezingqubo ezilandelwayo ezinkantolo zamacala; imigomo yokuziphatha yosolwazi abangofakazi; kanye nendima esezingeni eliphezulu yofakazi abayizingcweti. Abadlalindima bahlinzeke ngolwazi olumayelana nemibuzo emithatho yalolu cwaningo, ngelandelayo; ngabe amacala anodlame oluqondiswe kwizingane aqala kanjani? Ngabe yiziphi izixakaxaka ezimayelana nokuziphatha ezikhona uma usebenza nezingane ezibandakanyeka kumacala anodlame, kanti ngabe yiziphi izinhlaka zokuziphatha ezingavela okufanele zifakwe ekuholeni ufakazi ongusolwazi kumacala anodlame aqondiswe kwizingane ukuze osolwazi bakwazi ukuqhuba uhlelo olunjalo lwesiforensiki. Lolu cwaningo lwengeza ulwazi olunothile olumayelana nokwethulwa kobufakazi wusolwazi onobungoti kumacala anodlame aqondiswe kwizingane kanti futhi lolu cwaningo lunikeza uhlaka lwemigomo yokuziphatha yosolwazi abangofakazi abasebenza kulowo mkhakha. Ucwaningo luveza ukubaluleka kobufakazi obuqotho emacaleni ezinkantolo amayelana nezingane ezithinteka emacaleni anodlame kanti futhi ucwaningo lunikeza incazelo yokubandakanyeka kabanzi kwabasebenzi abavela njengofakazi abaqotho lapho kunesenzo sodlame olwenziwe phezu kwezingane.

Nasi isithembiso sikaMongameli: “Ndiza kuthethana nendlu yowiso mthetho ndiphakamise ukuba onke amatyala abandakanya abafazi nabantwana anikwe izigwebo eziqatha. Siyavumelana nabafazi belizwe lethu ngokuthi umbuso mawungayivumeli ibheyile okanye ukuxolelwa kwesigwebo kubantu ababanjelwe ukudlwengula nokubulala abafazi nabantwana.” - Mongameli Cyril Ramaphosa, SUNDAY TIMES, 8 KweyoMsintsi, 2019. Mihla le kubakho izenzo ezibuhlungu kakhulu ezenziwa kubantwana. Ngoko ke, kunyanzelekile ukugxila kubundlobongela obenziwa kubantwana, ngakumbi kubungqina beengcali obunikwa ezinkundleni xa kuxoxwa amatyala amalunga nabantwana abachatshazelwe bubundlobongela. Ubundlobongela buligqibile ilizwe loMzantsi Afrika. UMzantsi Afrika uchazwa njengelona lizwe liphambili kumazwe ehlabathi ekuphandwe kuwo, xa kuthethwa ngobundlobongela kunye nokwenzakala okubangelwe bubundlobongela. Lunqongophele uphando olufumanekayo ngesakhelo sokuziphatha kwamangqina aziingcali kumatyala amaxhoba angabantwana. Ingqina eliyingcali lidlala indima ebaluleke kakhulu kumatyala amaxhoba angabantwana neenkqubo zeenkundla zamatyala, ngoko ke iingcali kufuneka ziziphathe ngokusesikweni, zihambe ngokwemiqathango yokuziphatha efanelekileyo xa zinika ubungqina. Esi sifundo sivelela kwinkalo yophando ngobume nokulindeleke emsebenzini, ngcingane leyo yaziwa ngokuba yideontological theory ngokwesiNgesi, ngenjongo yokuqinisekisa ukuba umgwebi wetyala unikwa ubungqina obunyanisekileyo enkundleni. Indlela yokuziphatha yobume nokulindeleke emsebenzini ibandakanya isimilo esisulungekileyo kwaye ibethelela ukuzinikezela emsebenzini; ukwenza okulungileyo njengesivuno; nokuqinisekisa ukuba kwenziwa ubulungisa nokuba kubi kangakanani na. Esi sifundo siyintshayelelo nesisekelwe kuzathuzo siqwalasela ulwaphulo mthetho olububundlobongela kubantwana nendima kunye nomsebenzi wamangqina aziingcali ekunikeni ubungqina obufanelekileyo nobukumgangatho ophezulu. Isifundo sijonge ukuphonononga isakhelo sokuziphatha kwabasebenzi abaphakanyiswa njengeengcali kumatyala amaxhoba angabantwana. Kusetyenziswe ingcingane kaBronfenbrenner yolwalamano kwezentlalo njengesiqhamo sesimilo esisukela ebuntwaneni, apho kugxininiswa ekubalulekeni kokuqwalasela abantwana kwiimeko ngeemeko. Ingcingane yeenkqubo yenza ukuba kuqondakale imeko yezentlalo ekhokelela kulwaphulo mthetho olububundlobongela kubantwana. Imixholo evele ngexesha kuqhutywa olu phando yeyokubaluleka kweziqinisekiso zemfundo kunye namava amangqina aziingcali; ifuthe lobungqina obunikwa yingcali etyaleni; imfuneko yokuba amangqina aziingcali asebenza nabantwana aqeqeshelwe ukuzazi iinkqubo zeenkundla zamatyala; ingqokelela yemigaqo nemimiselo yokuziphatha ngokusesikweni kwamangqina aziingcali; kunye nendima esesikweni yamangqina aziingcali. Abathathi nxaxheba banike ulwazi malunga nemibuzo emithathu yolu phando, mibuzo leyo ithi ziluhlobo luni izenzo zolwaphulo mthetho olububundlobongela kubantwana, bobuphi ubunzima obufumanekayo xa kusetyenzwa nabantwana kumatyala olwaphulo mthetho olububundlobongela, kwaye kungafuneka sithathele ngqalelo ni isakhelo sokuziphatha esinokuqulunqwa kubantwana ekukhokeleni amangqina aziingcali xa enika ubungqina kumatyala amaxhoba angabantwana, ukuze akwazi ukumelana nenkqubo yophando. Esi sifundo songeza ulwazi olutyebileyo malunga nobungqina bamangqina aziingcali kumatyala obundlobongela kubantwana kwaye sinika isakhelo sokuziphatha kwiingcali ezisebenza kweli candelo. Kwakhona, esi sifundo sidandalazisa ukubaluleka kobungqina beengcali ematyaleni amalunga nabantwana abachatshazelwe bubundlobongela kwaye sinika intsingiselo yokubandakanywa kwabasebenzi beli candelo njengamangqina aziingcali xa kukho ulwaphulo mthetho olububundlobongela kubantwana.