Special testimony and slave labour: the need to expand the special protection for victims in the Labour Justice

Abstract

This article examines the special testimony, regulated by Law 13.431/2017 in cases of children and adolescents who were victims or witnesses of sexual violence. The special testimony must prioritize the protection, shelter and privacy of the child, who is entitled to qualified legal and specialized psychosocial assistance, during and after procedures before police or judicial authorities. We argue that the hypotheses of special testimony should go beyond the chronological markers of childhood and adolescence, to encompass other vulnerable persons, including victims of conditions analogous to slavery. The principle of human dignity and the theories of Procedural Justice offer support to this proposal.