In what circumstances have courts admitted expert testimony to assist the jury in assessing the credibility of witnesses in criminal child sex abuse cases?

However, the highest courts of Minnesota and Hawaii have admitted expert testimony to assist the jury in assessing the credibility of witnesses in criminal child sex abuse cases. In State v. Myers, 359 N.W.2d 604 (1984), a clinical psychologist testified to characteristics typically involved in sexually abused children, and to the credibility of the witness. The court reasoned that although with respect to most crimes, the credibility of witnesses is particularly within the competence of the jury, common experience affords insufficient basis for the jury's assessment of credibility in children. Since incest is prohibited in all or almost all cultures, the common experience of the jury may represent a less than adequate foundation for assessing credibility of a young child who complain of sexual abuse.