Delayed reporting and legal outcomes in child sexual abuse cases: An empirical analysis

BACKGROUND: Whether delays in reporting Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) undermine prosecution remains contested. OBJECTIVE: To test the association between reporting delay and legal outcomes in CSA cases. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: File-based dataset of 204 CSA cases concluded in Poland (2017-2023). METHODS: with Cramér's V and multinomial logistic regression modeled legal cases outcomes as a function of reporting delay, victim-offender relationship, victim age at onset, and scope of investigative activities. RESULTS: Reporting delay did not significantly predict conviction or acquittal relative to discontinuation (all p > 0.10). By contrast, the scope of investigative activities and victim age were associated with convictions: few/limited investigative actions vs. extensive were linked to lower conviction likelihood (p < 0.001). Onset of the abuse in early adolescence (11-14) and late adolescence (15-17) vs. childhood (0-10) showed higher conviction likelihood (both p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In this sample, reporting delay was not statistically associated with legal outcome. Two factors emerged as strong predictors of conviction: a higher level of investigative activity and older victim age at the onset of the abuse. Once cases enter the system, investigative thoroughness may matter more than the timing of disclosure.