ALTHOUGH NONE OF THE THREE CHILDREN TESTIFIED IN THIS NEGLECT CASE, THE STATEMENTS ATTRIBUTED TO THEM CROSS-CORROBORATED ONE ANOTHER AND WERE THEREFORE ADMISSIBLE.

The Third Department determined that, although none of the three children testified in this child neglect case, the children’s statements about the domestic violence witnessed by them were admissible because the statements were cross-corroborated:

“While the mere repetition of an accusation by a child is insufficient to corroborate the child’s prior account of abuse or neglect” … , “independent statements by children requiring corroboration may corroborate each other” … . * * *

… [W]e find that, although none of the children testified, their out-of-court statements sufficiently cross-corroborated one another … . Matter of Annarae I. (Jennifer K.), 2017 NY Slip Op 01605, 3rd Dept 3-2-17

 

FAMILY LAW (ALTHOUGH NONE OF THE THREE CHILDREN TESTIFIED IN THIS NEGLECT CASE, THE STATEMENTS ATTRIBUTED TO THEM CROSS-CORROBORATED ONE ANOTHER AND WERE THEREFORE ADMISSIBLE)/EVIDENCE (FAMILY LAW, ALTHOUGH NONE OF THE THREE CHILDREN TESTIFIED IN THIS NEGLECT CASE, THE STATEMENTS ATTRIBUTED TO THEM CROSS-CORROBORATED ONE ANOTHER AND WERE THEREFORE ADMISSIBLE)/HEARSAY (ALTHOUGH NONE OF THE THREE CHILDREN TESTIFIED IN THIS NEGLECT CASE, THE STATEMENTS ATTRIBUTED TO THEM CROSS-CORROBORATED ONE ANOTHER AND WERE THEREFORE ADMISSIBLE)