GREENFIELD — The little girl shuffled into the courtroom, looking timid and afraid. Her stick-straight hair fell in light brown sheets on either side of her thin face, and she did her best to hide behind it as she fought to avoid the gaze of a dozen strangers sitting just a few feet away.
She settled into the stiff wooden chair on the witness stand. And for the next few minutes, she fielded a series of yes-or-no questions from the prosecutor about the sexual abuse she says she suffered. With every utterance, each as meek and quiet as the next, it became clear to onlookers in the courtroom just how nervous the little girl was.
But this meeting in Hancock Circuit Court on Monday afternoon was just an exercise, a mock trial hosted by local prosecutors in the hope it would help the girl and her sister feel more comfortable speaking publicly about the traumas they’ve faced, officials said.
Those who were listening as the little girls took turns telling their stories already knew the details of their disclosures: they were among the police detectives and state caseworkers who investigated the crimes the two children alleged.
The girls — both of whom are under the age of 10 — have accused the same man of assaulting them. Their case is set to go to trial next month, and both children will need to testify before a judge and jury as part of the proceedings.
The topics up for discussion are ones most adults wouldn’t want to share in public, prosecutors say. For children, it’s even more unsettling, they say.
Practicing should help them feel more comfortable when it comes time to tell their truth, they say.
“It’s our job to prepare a child as much as we can for what’s to come,” said Deputy Prosecutor Cathy Wilson. “This is one tool to do that.”
Monday’s mock trial was a first for prosecutors, but they hope to utilize the exercise more often and with victims of all ages and crimes.
The idea came from a conference four local officials attended earlier this year, said Chief Deputy Prosecutor Marie Castetter.
The two prosecutors and two detectives who attended the four-day training, hosted by the National District Attorneys Association, are typically assigned by their various agencies to handle crimes against children locally.
At the national training conference, they learned the best ways to collect and present evidence of crimes against children as well as different tactics for better interacting with young witnesses and victims.
The mock trial was among the tools suggested to help kids feel more comfortable about testifying in court, Castetter said.
Most children haven’t seen the inside of a courtroom, and they probably don’t have a full understanding of what a judge, a jury or a prosecutor does or what a criminal trial consists of, Wilson said.
Seeing the courtroom, learning where all those important players — the jury, the judge, their abuser — will be seated, should help them feel more at ease when the trial begins, she said.
Greenfield Police Department officers, caseworkers from the Department of Child Services and various personnel from the local prosecutor’s office served as jurors. One Greenfield detective settled in behind the bench to serve as a judge, and another sat behind the defendant’s table, filling in as a defense attorney.
They joked about the various role reversals: typically, they’d all work alongside prosecutors whenever they’re in the courtroom and their careers will most likely keep each of them from ever serving as a witness during a real trial.
But when the first of the two little girls came into the courtroom, their laughter died away. They sat quietly and listened to the girls’ stories.
Castetter started her line of questioning with simple inquiries to help calm their nerves, asking what grade each girl was headed into, if they’re excited about the upcoming school year and if they’ve enjoyed their summer vacation so far.
She asked who the girls lived with, their mom or their dad; if they have any brothers or sisters; and if friends of their family lived with them. And it was the answer to that final question that brought them to the defendant and the abuse each girl says she suffered.
Both girls have accused the same friend of their family, who lived in their home for a short time, of forcing them to engage in sexual acts. The man now faces child molest charges, records show.
They each answered Castetter’s questions in soft voices, hesitating at times. When their turns on the witness stand were over, each left the courtroom holding the hand of a counselor.
Afterward, Castetter talked with the panel of investigators about what might make the girls more comfortable. Some of the suggestions included bringing a comfort dog into the courtroom to sit with the girls as they testify or perhaps finding an older victim, from a previous criminal case, who the girls can talk to about what to expect during trial.
In a way, the exercise helped Castetter prepare for the upcoming trial, too, she said. Now, she knows what she’ll need to do when presenting evidence, she said.