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HRS §350-5

When private talks can be used in court

In court cases about child abuse or neglect, certain private conversations cannot be kept secret. The law says that doctor, therapist, spouse, and victim-counselor talks are not protected. This means those conversations can be used as evidence.

attorneyscourtsparentsspousesvulnerable adults

The statute, as written — Admissibility of evidence

The physician-patient privilege, the psychologist-client privilege, the spousal privilege, and the victim-counselor privilege shall not be grounds for excluding evidence in any judicial proceeding resulting from a report of child abuse or neglect pursuant to this chapter.
Read the official text at capitol.hawaii.gov ↗as published Jan 6, 2026our copy taken Aug 20, 2026

LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.