Unveiling the truth: The effect of Muslim garments and face covering on the perceived credibility of a victim’s court testimony.

Abstract

The perceived credibility of a sexual assault victim's court testimony was examined. A 2 (Face Covered: No, Yes) x 2 (Muslim Garment: No, Yes) between-participant design was used.Participants (N = 120) were assigned to watch one of four videos of a sexual assault victim providing testimony, and asked to rate her credibility. The effect of Muslim Garment on victim credibility ratings was significant; the victim was perceived as more credible when she wore a niqab or hijab compared to when she did not wear either of these garments. The effect of Face Covering on credibility ratings was non-significant, and the interaction was non-significant. The implications for women who wear Muslim garments while testifying about sexual assault are discussed.