Sexual Assault Training & Investigations


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SATI e-News: February 26, 2003
     
  

 OVW Convenes Focus Group on Standardization of Rape Exams
 
The U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (formerly the Violence Against Women Office) convened two focus groups within the past year to evaluate existing standards of training, practice and payment of sexual assault forensic examinations.
 
In the Violence Against Women Act of 2000 (VAWA 2000) (Public Law 106-386, section 1405), Congress required the Attorney General to evaluate existing standards of training and practice for licensed health care professionals performing sexual assault forensic examinations and develop a national recommended standard for training. In addition, the Attorney General is required to recommend sexual assault forensic examination training for all health care students. Congress also tasked the Attorney General to develop a recommended national protocol for forensic exams and establish a mechanism for its nationwide dissemination. The goal of the focus groups was to gather input from relevant disciplines toward the creation of a "working draft" of the protocol, which will be the basis for further input and discussion.
 
Joanne Archambault, President of Sexual Assault Training and Investigations (SATI), welcomed the discussion. “As I travel around the country, it is obvious that guidance is needed in this area. Practices vary widely and protocols are sometimes nonexistent,” said Archambault (see more in Promising Practices article).
 
The two focus groups included representatives from the criminal justice (police, prosecutors, and forensic scientists), medical (doctors and nurses), and victim services professions. Kellie Greene, a rape survivor and the Executive Director of SOAR (Speaking Out About Rape), was among the focus group participants.
 
According to Greene, “The [focus group] communication has been open and extensive, and many excellent ideas have been shared. Services are truly better where they have good protocols in place, and it is clear that less-equipped facilities should strive to reach this level.” But Greene noted, “there are many hurdles to be overcome in terms of funding, personnel, human and financial resources so these places [with less stringent standards] can get up to speed with the rest of the country.”
 
Greene also said many of the focus group participants come from places that already have best practices in place. She believes it is important to get more input from localities that have limited resources and are struggling to establish procedures for forensic examinations and analysis of the forensic evidence collected. “Best practices are in the minority,” Greene stated. “The majority [of the country] has very basic standards and they are the ones that will be most impacted by any change.” Overall, Greene is encouraged that a dialogue on this issue is taking place, and believes it is a significant and positive step forward.
 
While supporting the idea of a national standard for forensic exams, some sex crimes professionals are concerned that it could be used as a tactic by the defense. If a particular case does not follow the national protocol for forensic evidence collection, a defense attorney can call the evidence into question.
 
A date has not yet been determined for the release of the OVW "working document", but SATI e-News will be following this story closely and providing updates.
     
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