State v. J.R.

In this case, we consider a criminal defendant’s challenge to the State’s expert’s testimony concerning Child Sexual Abuse Accommodation Syndrome (CSAAS). CSAAS evidence is presented to explain why some child victims of sexual abuse delay reporting sexual offenses to adults, refrain entirely from reporting the abuse, or retract their allegations prior to trial. Such evidence is not admissible to prove that a particular child was the victim of a sexual offense. CSAAS evidence must be carefully circumscribed so that it does not improperly bolster the testimony of the alleged victim, mislead the…