Committee hears bill to let children testify outside sight of alleged abuser; public defenders urge caution

The House Judiciary Committee heard testimony on House Bill 293 on Thursday about steps to let child victims testify outside the line of sight of the accused.

Delegate Jesse Pippe, sponsor of HB 293, told the committee the bill would ‘‘clean up’’ existing language that requires a child to be ‘‘reasonably able to communicate’’ before their out‑of‑court testimony can be used. Pippe said the change would apply to children age 16 and under and would also require that ‘‘the defendant’s attorney shall be present if the child victim is testifying outside of court.’’

The bill’s proponents — including parents of survivors, prosecutors, and advocates — described the courtroom experience as…