Perceptions in a Sexual Assault Trial: The Influence of Age and Race on Canadian Mock-Jurors

This study examined mock-jurors’ perceptions of race and victim age in a sexual assault case. Undergraduate students (N = 440) read a mock-trial transcript of a case involving allegations of sexual assault. Victim age (10- vs. 40- vs. 70-years-old), victim race (White vs. Indigenous), and defendant race (White vs. Indigenous) were manipulated. The following statistical analyses were utilized: hierarchical logistic regression, three-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and one-way ANOVA. Results indicated that victim age and the race of both the victim and defendant were influential in mock-jurors’ decisions and perceptions. Mock-jurors were more likely to assign a guilty verdict and rated the victim most credible when the victim was 10-years old (compared to 40- or 70-years old) and when the victim was Indigenous (compared to White). Further, mock jurors were more likely to assign a guilty verdict when the defendant was White (compared to Indigenous).