APPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY App!. Cognit. Psycho!. 14: 197-213 (2000) Testimony and Evidence: A Scientific Case Study of Memory for Child Sexual Abuse SUE BIDROSEI and GAIL S. GOODMAN2* 'University of Otago, New Zealand 2University of California, Davis, USA SUMMARY Although case studies can provide insight into children's eyewitness memory, the typical lack of objective record limits evaluation of accuracy. In contrast. in this 'scientific case study', a detailed record of child sexual assault, documented by a 'sex ring' leader and confiscated by police, was available. In police interviews and courtroom hearings. four girls (8 to 15 years old at time of report) testified about sexual exploitation that involved eight adult men. The girls allegations were compared with evidence contained in photographic and audiotaped records of the abuse. Overall, there was supportive evidence for about 80% of the allegations (85.6% of the alleged sexual acts; 42.9% of the alleged coercive acts; and 82.5% of the alleged preparatory acts). Levels of support for sexual act allegations were similar for all four girls. regardless of age. but the younger child made more unsupported allegations of coercive behaviour. Additionally, there were high levels of omission errors. Findings are discussed in the context of research on eyewitness testimony and child sexual abuse. Copyright Vi 2000 John Wiley & Sons. Ltd. Children's ability to provide accurate eyewitness testimony has, in the last 15 years, become a subject of considerable research and debate, at least in part due to dramatic increases in the number of children testifying about sexual assault. Relevant research is, however, hampered because laboratory studies can never mimic the complex conditions present during actual abuse. In this paper we report a unique study of the accuracy of children's testimony. Based on records made during abuse itself, we evaluate the accuracy of child witnesses who testified abo