Author(s)

Guoqing Xie ¹

Affiliation(s)

¹ Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China

Corresponding Author

Guoqing Xie

ABSTRACT

Crimes of sexual assault against minors are typically committed in concealed places by acquaintances, making the victim's statement the key evidence for conviction. When minor victims testify in court, they face the risk of secondary psychological trauma and privacy disclosure. Remote video testimony, which separates the victim from the courtroom through technical means, offers a viable way to balance procedural justice with the special protection of minor victims, yet it raises concerns over the principle of direct and oral trial, the right of confrontation, and technical security. This paper demonstrates the necessity and feasibility of remote video testimony, analyzes its practical difficulties, and proposes paths to improvement in terms of coordinating the principle of direct and oral trial, improving the mechanism of assistance and supervision, refining procedural rules, and strengthening technical safeguards, so as to protect the rights and interests of minor victims while upholding procedural justice.

KEYWORDS

Sexual assault cases involving minors; Remote video testimony; Minor victims; Right of confrontation

CITE THIS PAPER

Guoqing Xie. Remote Video Testimony by Victims in Sexual Assault Cases Involving Minors. Science of Law Journal (2026). Vol. 5, No. 2, 97-107. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/DOI: 10.23977/law.2026.050214.

REFERENCES

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[7] Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Minors. 2020.
[8] Guangzhou court launches "face-scan" WeChat video testimony. Available from: https://www.chinanews.com.cn/sh/2017/10-17/8354880.shtml [Accessed 30th August 2026].
[9] Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. Criminal Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China. 2018.
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[11] Yin Lingran. Conflict and balance: the protection of minor victims in testifying and the exercise of the defendant's right of confrontation. Global Law Review. 2022; (4): 50-65.

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