In partnership with three other gender-based violence and legal aid organizations, FVAP Washington successfully obtained publication in part of a case in which the Court of Appeals ruled that child testimony should not be excluded based on a blanket ban on allowing child witnesses in family law proceedings. Courts must first consider all the circumstances, including whether children have witnessed abuse. The decision also confirms that evidence about domestic violence is relevant, whether or not it is related to the children in the parenting plan trial. A parent’s history of domestic violence, child sexual abuse, and sexual assault that results in pregnancy must be considered. Read the opinion and order to publish in part.
