Children’s Out-of-Court Statements Sufficiently Corroborated

In upholding a finding of neglect, the Second Department determined the out-of-court statements of the children were sufficiently corroborated to be admissible:

In a child protective proceeding, “[u]nsworn out-of-court statements of the [subject child] may be received and, if properly corroborated, will support a finding of abuse or neglect …  * * *

Here, the out-of-court statements of siblings Alysa and Joseph to the caseworker were corroborated by the caseworker’s personal observations, the two children’s own cross-corroborating statements, confirmation of certain events by their older sister Selena and brother Mateo, and certain statements by the mother, and were properly considered by the Family Court (see Family Ct Act § 1046[a][vi]; …).  Matter of Mateo S. 2014 MY Slip Op 04497, 2nd Dept 6-18-14