A two-year-old has become the youngest person to ever give evidence after her testimony led to the conviction of a paedophile, it has been reported.
Hours after being abused by Matthew Carter, 45, the toddler told her parents about the incident – who then contacted the authorities.
An expert assessed the child to determine whether or not she would be capable to give evidence and outlined which questions should be asked.
Specially trained police officers set up a video interview and, after using some toys to build a rapport with the toddler, she demonstrated on a piece of paper where she had been abused, according to The Sun.
Very few questions were needed as the child was able to provide clear responses.
The evidence was so strong that, Carter, a father-of-three from Norfolk, confessed to the crime before the trial.
Detective constable Natalie Riseborough, of the Child Abuse Investigation Unit, said: “Hearing a victim’s account of the abuse they were subjected to is always distressing. We are committed to carrying out a full and thorough investigation to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.”
A spokesman for Intermediaries For Justice said: “A lot of perpetrators think they can get away with offences on small children because they are too young to explain what happened.
“But this proves young people can give evidence that if acted upon quickly and handled correctly can lead to convictions.”
Carter has been given an 11-and-a-half-year sentence for one rape charge of a girl under the age of 13 and three charges of making indecent images of children.
