Exploring Frequency Reports as Described by Judges in Timely and Delayed Canadian Child Sexual Abuse Cases

ABSTRACT Child sexual abuse (CSA) cases can involve multiple similar incidents over a long duration. Complainants can either report the offence shortly after it occurs, leading to a brief delay between the end of the abuse and court hearing (timely delay; CSA) or the court hearing takes place 2 or more years after its occurrence (delayed; historical CSA [HCSA]). Regardless of delay, asking complainants about abuse frequency can be legally relevant. However, little is understood about complainants' ability to specify and describe frequency. The present study identified frequency reporting patterns and whether the reliance on a numerical value or descriptor varies across delays. According to judicial reports, most complainants who specified a numerical value reported up to three instances, regardless of delay. CSA complainants commonly reported a numerical value compared to HCSA complainants. These findings can inform future studies examining frequency judgments for a repeated event across varying delays.