Eyewitness testimony is an account given by the witness of an event or crime. It is a legal term that is widely used at a trial. Eyewitness testimony is a controversial issue whereas many experts think that the quality of the account given by the witness depends on numerous psychological and external factors. However, there are cases when eyewitness testimony is the only clue for the police to find a guilty person or discover the actual situation. When it is impossible to trace forensic evidence, the only way out is to find a witness who has seen the entire event or crime with her own eyes. Although this method is unreliable, very often it helps to find the truth.
Eyewitness testimony is a valuable method in forensic science. Years ago, this method was the weightiest one. People did not try to look for any clues and evidence and the only reliable source of information about a crime was eyewitness testimony. When one said that he saw a criminal, he described that person and her actions. When the descriptions fitted the accused person, she was believed to be guilty. Therefore, forensic science of the past was based on eyewitness testimony.
