Sexual Assault

Assignment Details
You are a Victims Advocate for persons who have been sexually assaulted.  You have been very effective in recent past cases where police were unable to obtain significant information from victims of sexual assault.  When you provided advocacy service to these victims you discovered that police interviews were done in a manner that indicated they (police) were in charge and that the victim needed to cooperate if he or she was to be believed and wanted anything done about the reported crime.

The Chief of Major Crimes has noted that you have been successful in providing information obtained from the victims that were unsuccessfully interviewed by the detectives in the respective investigations.

The Chief of Major Crimes wants you to explain why the police interviews of the victims are not successful and what the major crimes detectives can do to increase their effectiveness in interviewing the victims.  

Focus your discussion on the following:

Prepare a list of the most important factors that police officers should include in their victim interview strategy of those who are reporting they have been sexually assaulted.  
Explain why it is important to modify the interview based on the factors that you listed.

Example.

At the start of the interview, the victim is asked an open-ended question like, "Tell me what happened today" to begin the interview. The most important thing is to let the victim tell the whole story without interfering. After the victim has finished telling her story, the detective may ask the victim more specific questions to add more information or clarify any ambiguities. During the interview, investigators must ensure that the victim provides these essential details. Some of the questions may include.

• • Where did the victim and suspect first come into contact?
  • Was alcohol a factor?
  • Was the rape facilitated by drugs?
  • Was the victim alone or with friends who could be potential witnesses?
  • Was there shoving, kicking, or scratching aimed at the offender?
  • What did the victim say to the offender such as “no,” “stop,” or “I don’t want to do this”
  • What is the victim’s relationship with the suspect? Is the offender a stranger or a known person to the victim?
  • What were the suspect’s actions prior to, during, and after the assault?
  • What is the chronology of the specific sex acts that were performed?
  • What force was used or threatened by the offender?