Violence against women with disabilities 2012, para. 42

Paragraph
Paragraph text
Law enforcement and legal agencies may dismiss complaints since they see women with disabilities who require assistive communication or accommodations, as well as women with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities, as lacking credibility. There may also be a tendency for judges to require more corroborating evidence of an assault in cases involving women with disabilities than in other cases, and evidence about prior mental health treatment may be used to discredit the testimony of such witnesses. Women with cognitive disabilities may have more difficulty with remembering the sequence of events, which may make them appear less credible on the stand. The failure to afford the testimony of women with disabilities due respect is problematic in gender-based violence and sexual assault cases, where the testimony of the parties and the credibility of the witnesses are exceptionally important. Women with disabilities face violence at least one and one-half times more often than other women. Thus, excluding them from the witness stand denies the reality that they face violence to a disproportionate degree.
Legal status
Non-negotiated soft law
Body
Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
Document type
Special Procedures' report
Means of adoption
N.A.
Topic(s)
  • Equality & Inclusion
  • Gender
  • Violence
Person(s) affected
  • Persons with disabilities
  • Women
Year
2012
Paragraph type
Other
Paragraph number
42