Why Polygraph Evidence Deserves a Seat at the Table

Samira J.
6 days ago
2 min read

Let’s get straight to it.

We live in a system that claims to pursue truth—yet routinely dismisses one of the very tools that can help uncover it: the polygraph.

Polygraph evidence, though not infallible, offers survivors of sexual violence a means to validate their story in a world that too often demands proof that cannot be shown, only lived. When there’s no rape kit, witnesses, or video, survivors are left with only their voice, sometimes years delayed. And too many times, that voice is drowned out by the phrase “insufficient evidence.”

It’s not about replacing the legal process. It’s about augmenting it. It’s about giving survivors a seat at the table, the same table where decisions are made about whether their pain matters enough to pursue justice.

What Polygraph Can Do

Restore credibility where systems have doubted it.
Challenge silence when the burden of proof is unreachable.
Offer clarity when a sworn statement is all a survivor has.

And if the survivor volunteers to take a polygraph, passes with integrity, and still gets turned away—what message does that send?

That even when we pass the test…We’re still not believed.

That’s unacceptable.

It’s Time for the Polygraph Law

We’re proposing the S.A.V.E. Child Act, a legislative step that says, When a survivor passes a certified polygraph administered by an accredited examiner, and other options for evidence are unavailable—let that testimony be heard. Let that case be prosecuted.

This law doesn’t demand belief without scrutiny. It demands that evidence isn’t ignored just because it makes the system uncomfortable.

Survivors Deserve Better

Polygraph evidence shouldn’t be the golden ticket—it should be one more tool in a toolkit that seeks the whole truth. When it’s voluntary, ethical, and backed by a credible examiner, it should carry weight.

We’re not here to dismantle justice. We’re here to demand its evolution.