Daily Utah Chronicle opinion writer Charlotte Hansen advocates for passage of a bill that would prohibit the use of a polygraph examination on a victim of a sexual offense. Excerpt:
Utah Rep. Angela Romero has introduced HB17 to the 2025 Utah legislative session. This bill intends to limit the use of polygraph tests on victims of sexual offenses in Utah.
The controversy surrounding the use of polygraph tests in sexual assault cases has existed for some time. When victims report their crimes to the proper authorities, police agencies have the right to use lie detectors to determine the validity of their stories. Based on the test results, police can decide whether to pursue or drop the investigation.
The problem lies in the fact that polygraph tests are wildly unreliable. They deepen the divide of trust between victims and officers because of their unpredictable nature. In doing so, polygraph tests threaten the integrity of truth within investigations.
This bill will protect both the integrity of investigations and the well-being of sexual assault victims. Utahns must pressure their representatives to vote in favor of HB17.
Read the rest of the article here. We agree that this bill should be enacted. But a more comprehensive ban on polygraphy would be even better. Polygraphy has no scientific basis: it’s a thoroughly discredited, century-old, cop-invented pseudoscience. It should be abolished for all purposes.