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Sexual Assault
News
Serial Rapist Might
Have Been Caught Sooner if Atlanta PD Investigated More Thoroughly
Rapist receives 10 life sentences
Christopher Baker, a convicted
serial rapist who was sentenced to 10 back-to-back life terms,
might have been caught sooner if police had investigated other
attacks more aggressively, a former Atlanta police official
said.
Baker, 37, tried to talk his way out of a hefty sentence by
professing his innocence and blaming the six victims, whom he
described as vindictive prostitutes he had ripped off but not
raped.
Christopher Baker was sentenced to 10 back-to-back life
sentences plus 119 years after being convicted on 18 charges.
The sentencing judge, however, imposed the maximum penalty
allowed, tacking 119 years onto the life sentences.
"That's every day I could find," Fulton County Superior Court
Judge Alford Dempsey Jr. said Friday when passing the sentence.
A jury convicted Baker of 18 counts, including rape, kidnapping,
aggravated sodomy and robbery by force, for incidents from May
1998 through October 2002.
Prosecutor Gayle Abramson said DNA evidence also links Baker, a
four-time convicted felon, to a dozen rapes in Fulton and DeKalb
counties, including the six in Atlanta's west side.
"There is no way he'll ever see the light of day again, and
that's what we wanted," Abramson said.
All six of the victims testified last fall, some of them through
tears, about how Baker raped them. He left some of them with
scrapes, a jaw contusion or black eyes. He also kneed a pregnant
woman in the abdomen, Abramson said.
Lou Arcangeli, a retired Atlanta police commander, came to
Baker's sentencing even though he didn't work on the case. He
said he believes it's possible Baker could have been stopped
sooner if police detectives had aggressively investigated all
reports of rape. "I'm sure they had a chance to catch him
earlier," he said. "It's justice delayed."
Lisa James, a former Atlanta police detective assigned to the
sex crimes unit, said she and other investigators suspected
Baker in some of the "really brutal" cases, but since the cases
were not investigated thoroughly, they could not be connected to
him.
James left the department after unwittingly blowing the whistle
in 2001 on a secret file, dubbed the "name file," where some
investigators stored rape reports involving runaways, the
homeless, prostitutes and others who were hard to find or easy
to discredit. These rapes weren't thoroughly investigated or
included in the city's crime statistics.
Arcangeli, once a deputy chief under former police chief Beverly
Harvard, was demoted in 1998 after blowing the whistle on crime
underreporting he said was designed to polish the image of the
department and city in time for the 1996 Olympics.
Arcangeli again exposed underreporting in 2001, this time
involving sex crimes. He blamed several people, from detectives
to a deputy chief, for keeping the name file in 1999 and 2000
and possibly destroying evidence by tossing aside rape kits.
Read More
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Court Says No Civil Rights Action
Against Cop Who Discouraged Rape Victim
Can't flag police for protecting football players.
Chicago Daily Law Bulletin
September 30, 2004, Thursday
BYLINE: JAMES G. SOTOS
Though a police officer may have acted improperly in discouraging
an alleged rape victim from pursuing prosecution in order to
protect Oklahoma State football players, the officer's misconduct
did not support any civil rights causes of actions under federal
law.
Police officers are commonly sued for overzealousness in pursuing
criminal charges against suspects. Occasionally, though not nearly
as often, police are sued for not pursuing charges against
deserving suspects. As the case reviewed in today's column
reveals, such claims are far more difficult to sustain. Jennings
v. City of Stillwater, et al., No. 03-6206.(U.S. Court of Appeals,
10th Cir., Sept. 14, 2004).
At a party on Nov. 21, 1999, Alison Jennings had sexual contact
with four members of the Oklahoma State University football team.
Jennings alleged that she was raped. The football players claimed
the sex was consensual.
Stillwater, Oklahoma police Detective Robert Buzzard led the
ensuing investigation and, by all accounts, did everything he
could to help the football players and discourage Jennings from
going forward with criminal charges. Buzzard, who was a former OSU
baseball player and had close contacts to the university's
athletic department, initially interviewed the football players in
a room together, before separating them and questioning them
individually. He then interviewed Jennings, and repeatedly told
her that her story was not lining up with the statements he had
received from other witnesses. He did not tell Jennings that the
witnesses he was referring to were the accused football players.
In addition, Buzzard reported to the local district attorney,
Robert Hudson that Jennings had admitted that she was drunk and
may have consented to have sex with at least two of the athletes.
However, Jennings had actually stated that, while she was
intoxicated, she had agreed to have sex with only one of the
athletes. After confronting Jennings with purported
inconsistencies in her story, Buzzard also convinced Jennings to
sign a waiver of prosecution form, the first time he had ever
utilized such a form in a rape investigation.
Read More
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Defendant Not
Denied Fair Trial because Prosecution Referred to “Victim”
Michigan v.
Stadler, Mich. App. November 18, 2004 2004 WL 2624741 Discovery
of Evidence; Prosecutorial Misconduct.
The following summary was prepared by the Center for Law and
Social Responsibility as part of an alert project -- the
Domestic and Sexual Violence Project -- at New England School of
Law. Readers can also subscribe or unsubscribe to this alert
service at:
http://www.nesl.edu/csr/svnews/. Summaries of this and other
cases are also archived electronically at the same website.
STATEMENT OF THE CASE:
After being convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct,
the defendant appealed arguing, among other things, that he was
denied a fair trial because the prosecutor did not ask the
victim during discovery whether she ever made a false allegation
of rape. He also argued the prosecutor committed misconduct by
using the word "victim" during trial.
Read More
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Kentucky Law Limits Polygraphing Victims of Sex Crimes
Kentucky law has recently been amended to establish limits for
polygraph examinations of victims of sex crimes. This regulation
was passed as part of updating standards for polygraphists, and
applies directly to examiners, not to all law enforcement
officials.
Drafted by the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, the
provisions of the new regulation are consistent with the
procedures taught to new polygraph examiners for years. Until now,
however, examiners weren’t required to comply with the procedures
after certification. Read
More
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Invitation to VAWA Strategic Planning Meeting regarding
Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act
The Violence Against Women Act is due to be reauthorized in 2005.
Enacted as part of the 1994 Crime Bill, this important federal
legislation has been critical in assisting local communities in
preventing and intervening in domestic violence for over 10 years.
Since 1994, every state and US territory has received billions of
dollars in Federal funding for programs to assist in ending
domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
Those receiving funding include law enforcement agencies,
prosecutors' offices, judicial and court systems, child abuse
prevention programs, supervised visitation centers, sexual assault
crisis centers, rape prevention and campus education
organizations, civil legal assistance agencies, programs that
assist survivors who are disabled, programs that work with older
battered women, local battered women shelters and programs that
serve Native women, immigrant women, women of color, among others.
In early 2003, the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic
Violence Against Women, the umbrella entity under which VAWA
reauthorization and expansion is sought, reconvened to begin
discussing legislation to reauthorize VAWA. From April - May of
2004, the legislative drafting committee met extensively and
crafted a legislative proposal to reauthorize VAWA. We hope that
the Congress will soon introduce legislation to reauthorize,
strengthen and expand VAWA based on these proposals.
Read More
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SATI/EVAW International News
Joanne Archambault is Now the Executive Director of
EVAW
International.
While readers of the e-News know Joanne Archambault primarily as
the Training Director of SATI, Inc., she also recently founded a
non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization called End Violence Against
Women International (EVAW). Since it was founded, EVAW
International has grown considerably, so Archambault recently
stepped down from the Board of Directors of EVAW International to
serve as its Executive Director. Fellow Board member Dr. Kim
Lonsway also resigned in order to take on the position of Research
Director for EVAW International. They are joined by Sue Meyer who
will serve as the full time Administrative Manager.
Fortunately, their roles on the Board of Directors will be ably
served by Roger Canaff who has agreed to serve as President, Joan
Zorza as Vice President, and Inez Baker as Secretary. For more
information on these developments, and other members of the EVAW
International Board of Directors please click here:
Board of
Directors
To accommodate her new responsibilities as Executive Director of
EVAW International, Joanne will cut down her travel schedule
significantly. However, she will continue to actively serve as the
Training Director of SATI, Inc. Her schedule is available on the
web site for SATI, Inc. at:
http://www.mysati.com/training_schedule.htm
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8 U.S. Cities Part of Unprecedented “Making a Difference” Project
Law enforcement, prosecutors, and rape experts joined forces in an
intensive training conference to challenge the legal process and
hold more sex offenders accountable
From October 26 – 29, 2004, a team of professionals from 8 U.S.
Cities came together for an intensive, three-day training
conference in San Diego, California. Over those three days,
participants learned about innovative practices for responding to
sexual assault crimes, reached across traditional disciplinary
boundaries, networked with other professionals from across the
United States, and energized each other to enact significant
improvements in their community. Now that they have returned home,
however, the real work begins.
Read More
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A Number of Indicators Suggest that the “MAD” Conference was a
Tremendous Success
The stated purpose of the project is to "Make a Difference" in 16
communities -- 8 in the U.S. and 8 in Canada -- by challenging the
legal process to more effectively prosecute sexual offenders. By
that measure, the conference evaluations and other indicators
clearly demonstrate that the conferences were a tremendous
success.
(1) Quantitative Conference Evaluations
As one evaluative measure of the success of the San Diego training
conference, participants provided quantitative ratings on a number
of different dimensions, for every single session from the opening
banquet to the final group exercise.
Read More
(2) Open-Ended Conference Evaluations
Conference participants also responded to a number of open-ended
prompts on the evaluation form. These questions asked about the
aspects of the conference they “liked best,” “liked least,” and
what they “would have liked to see done differently.”
Read More
(3) Preliminary Data Collection
In the original vision for the Making a Difference project,
research was seen as central -- both for establishing a baseline
for current performance and for documenting the progress of any
resulting reforms. However, the capacity for data collection
varied widely across both discipline and community.
Read More
(4) Post-Conference Reform Efforts
Perhaps most importantly, the success of the San Diego conference
is seen in the reform efforts already underway in the 8 U.S.
participant-communities.
Read More
(5) Other Indicators of Conference Success
There are also a variety of additional indicators that further
confirm the sense of positive momentum created by the Making a
Difference Project.
Read More
(6) Participation in related research
The phenomenal success of the Making a Difference conference is
also seen in the coordinated efforts by the
participant-communities to engage in additional related research.
Read More
(7) Leveraging conference success with evaluation research
Of course, the success of the conference will also be leveraged
with the additional evaluation research already funded by the
William H. Donner Foundation, to assess the specific indicators of
collaboration at multiple time periods.
Read More
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Phase II of the “Making a Difference” Project
A variety of indicators clearly converge on the conclusion that
the U.S. “Making a Difference” conference was a success that laid
a solid foundation for ongoing technical assistance. It is hoped
that EVAW International will continue to receive funding from the
William H. Donner Foundation to provide a variety of forms of
technical assistance to the 8 U.S. MAD communities. If funded,
this technical assistance might include:
-
a dedicated web site for the “Making a Difference” (MAD) project
-
a monthly phone conference for MAD project participants
-
a monthly e-Newsletter to provide updates and information to MAD
communities
-
dissemination of policies, procedures, protocols, and other
materials
-
technical legal support for improved prosecution of sexual
assault crimes
-
on-site training and consultation in each of the 8 U.S. MAD
communities
-
assistance with media relations
-
ongoing data collection to track the number and characteristics
of sexual assault offenses throughout the criminal justice system
and within victim advocacy organizations
To Find Out More or to Get Involved
For anyone seeking to find out more about the “Making a
Difference” (MAD) project, or possibly hosting a multidisciplinary
conference in their community, please check out the website for
EVAW International at
www.evawinc.com With continued funding, it
is hoped that the information on the MAD project will be updated
and greatly expanded in the coming months.
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EVAW International Awarded OVW Grant for Targeted Technical
Assistance
In October of 2004, the Office on Violence Against Women awarded
EVAW International a $400,000.00 grant for Targeted Technical
Assistance. With grant funding provided over a period of two
years, EVAW International will be able to host a series of 3
regional conferences primarily in rural areas on the topic of
state-of-the-art initiatives in criminal justice response to
sexual assault. EVAW International will also use grant funding to
develop an on-line training institute to provide a forum for
continued learning, opportunities to practice developing skills,
and a certification process to document successful performance.
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“Evaluation” Grant funded by the William H. Donner Foundation
Also in October 2004, the William H. Donner Foundation awarded
EVAW International, in partnership with the Institute for Public
Health at San Diego State University, a $73,63.87 grant to
evaluate training outcomes using a variety of indicators, such as
the knowledge and skills demonstrated in the on-line training
program and a repeated assessment of community collaboration as a
result of the regional training programs and the on-line training
institute. Specifically, training participants will complete a
detailed survey of community collaboration before attending one of
the regional training conferences, after attending one of the
regional training conferences, and then again after completing the
on-line training institute and certification process.
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Promising
Practices
From the Desk of the Training Director:
Untangling the Issues of False vs. Unfounded Sexual Assault
Reports
By Joanne Archambault, Training Director, SATI, Inc. and Dr. Kim
Lonsway, Director of Research, EVAW International
As all of us in the field know, one of the most powerful and
pervasive myths in society regarding sexual assault is the notion
that women lie about rape – the idea that claims of sexual assault
are routinely fabricated. Perhaps no other belief does more to
damage the credibility of sexual assault victims as they seek help
from friends, family, social services, and the criminal justice
system. This is particularly true because sexual assault cases
that are viewed with the most suspicion are those perpetrated by
someone known to the victim, without a weapon, severe violence, or
signs of physical injury -- in other words, the most common type
of sexual assault in the real world. However, because these
typical dynamics of sexual assault are so very different from our
stereotype of “real rape” (i.e., stranger rape, with a weapon and
injury), it is perhaps the greatest irony of our field that the
typical dynamics of sexual assault are those most likely to raise
suspicion among police officers, prosecutors, and the general
public.
In this Promising Practices article, I’d like to describe a
research project that we at EVAW International have undertaken to
take these issues head on and figure out the best way to move
forward. In a nutshell, we have started a research project to try
to sort out which types of sexual assault cases are actually being
unfounded by law enforcement agencies across the country, which
types of cases should be unfounded, and how many of these cases
could reasonably be considered to be false.
Read More
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Requests for
Information and Assistance
Need for Information about Non-Profit SART Models
We have received a number of requests recently about the number of
non-profit SART programs across the country. If individuals or
organizations can provide this information, it would be helpful to
others who want to evaluate whether this model might be successful
in their community. If you have a program description for a
non-profit SART, along with a contact name or any other
information, please forward it to
Joanne@evawinc.com
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Need for Information on Collaborative Partnerships to Provide
On-Site Advocacy
We have also received a request for information from organizations
that have successfully developed collaborative partnerships
between law enforcement and sexual assault programs to provide
on-scene crisis intervention and emotional support services to
sexual assault survivors. We are interested in programs using
community based or police/prosecution based advocates. Please
forward any program information to
Joanne@evawinc.com
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Call for Research Participants in a Study of GHB-Facilitated
Sexual Assault
Dr. Steve Smith (Emergency Department physician at Hennepin County
Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN) and Dr. Deborah Zvosec, PhD.,
Minneapolis Medical Research Foundation have been conducting
research on GHB-related health issues since 1998, including GHB
overdose, GHB addiction and withdrawal, and GHB-facilitated sexual
assault.
In an attempt to address the critical lack of clinical data, they
are compiling a case series of victims of GHB-facilitated sexual
assault, to be published and utilized for education of clinicians,
law enforcement and the public.
Read More
Have a request for information or assistance you’d like to pass
along? Please forward to Joanne@evawinc.com
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Forensic News
DNA News From Around the United States and Abroad
The following news summaries in this section are reprinted with
permission from the
DNA Legislation & News, published by Smith Alling Lane.
Final Total for 2004 is 38 States with All-felons DNA Database
Laws
Ohio passed a law to require DNA from all convicted felons. New
bills for all felons databases have been introduced in Indiana,
Nebraska, North Dakota, and Oklahoma.
Bills to Expand or Eliminate the Statute of Limitations
An Oregon bill would eliminate the statute of limitations for
certain sexual assault cases if DNA evidence is available. Bills
to expand access to post conviction DNA tests were introduced in
Mississippi, Washington and Oregon.
Crime Lab Backlog Targeted by Georgia’s Governor
Atlanta Journal – Constitution, January 12, 2005.
Georgia’s Governor hopes to cut the GBI’s persistent crime lab
backlog—more than 32,000 tests were behind schedule as of last
month—by providing $4.4 million for more scientists and
outsourcing of some of the work.
Read More
Wisconsin Task Force Recommends Legislation on DNA Testing
The Associated Press State & Local Wire, January 6, 2005
In Wisconsin, a task force has endorsed legislation that would
move court-ordered post conviction DNA tests to the front of the
line at the state crime lab. In one well-known Wisconsin case
(Steven Avery), after a judge issued a court order to allow DNA
testing on hairs taken from the crime scene, it took 1 ½ years for
the state crime lab to match the DNA with the genetic profile of
another man whose information was on file.
Read More
Virginia Panel wants $11.6 Million to Beef Up Crime Labs
Daily Press (Newport News, Virginia), December 16, 2004
Recommendations endorsed by the Virginia State Crime Commission
total about $11.6 million for the Division of Forensic Sciences.
It would result in 31 new forensic staff members, a 26.3 percent
across-the-board salary increase to compete with federal labs in
hiring, expansion of the Norfolk lab, buying land and planning a
new lab in Northern Virginia and a mitochondrial DNA testing
program. A crime panel recommended the sweeping changes to the
state forensics lab after hearing a report that characterized
scientists as overworked, underpaid and unable to stem a backlog
of tests on criminal cases.
Arkansas State Crime Lab Laboring Under a 16,000-case backlog
Arkansas Democrat Gazette, December 14, 2004
The Arkansas state crime lab sometimes takes a year or more to
test evidence for police investigations and criminal trials or to
determine a cause of death. The lab has no established system for
deciding the order in which cases will be processed. Occasionally,
legislators and governors have provided extra money for the lab.
But, the patchwork funding has done little to solve its widespread
problems, including a 16,000 case backlog. The legislature has
taken a keen interest in the lab’s chronic under funding, and
additional money may be on the way this year.
Federal Government Approves 3.3 Million in Grants for NY State’s
DNA Labs
Long Island Business News, December 10, 2004
The federal government has approved $3.3 million in grants for New
York State’s DNA laboratories, including about $200,000 for Long
Island. About $156,000 will go to the Suffolk County Crime
Laboratory, and about $55,000 will go to the Nassau Department of
Forensics Genetics DNA Laboratory. More than half of the money,
about $1.8 million, will go to the New York City Office of the
Medical Examiner’s DNA lab.
Funding for Kentucky Crime Lab Could Help Solve Old Cases
The Courier-Journal, December 20, 2004
In Kentucky, federal grant money will be used to assist the state
crime lab in reducing backlogs of DNA evidence waiting testing. A
backlog of cases at Kentucky’s six crime labs was eliminated in
2004 after a major push. The cases being submitted now will be
tested largely by outside labs, with the results verified and
catalogued by the crime lab’s analysts
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DNA
Challenges
New Jersey’s State Attorney General will Appeal DNA Decision
The Record (Bergen County, NJ) January 7, 2005
New Jersey’s Sate Attorney General said he will appeal a recent
court ruling that allows many felons to have their state-mandated
DNA samples destroyed after they serve time in prison. The ruling
last month by Superior Court Judge Jack Sabatino was the first
challenge to the expansion of a 1996 New Jersey law requiring DNA
samples to be collected from all convicted criminals and kept on
permanent record. Sabatino upheld the constitutionality of taking
the DNA, but he ruled that those convicted on non-sexual crimes
such as burglary, robbery, embezzlement and drug possession—have
the right to demand that their DNA record be expunged once they
complete their sentence.
Baton Rouge Man Takes Hit in DNA Case
The Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA), January 9, 2004
In Louisiana, a federal magistrate has determined that damages
should not be awarded to a man who sued the East Baton Rouge
Parish Sheriff’s Office because his DNA sample, collected during
the south Louisiana serial killer investigation, has not been
returned. The ruling issued by U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen
Riedlinger does not address two other parts of the lawsuit. Those
parts of the lawsuit seek an injunction to preserve the DNA sample
and also seek to have declared unconstitutional, a Louisiana law
that compels someone suspected of a crime to give DNA samples. The
judge said in his ruling that the defendant’s 14th Amendment
rights, which protect due process, were violated because he was
forced to give the DNA sample. But, because he waited more than a
year to file the lawsuit, the claims of 14th Amendment violations
should be dismissed.
Maryland Appeals Court Upholds Use of Mitochondrial DNA
The Associated Press State & Local Wire, January 5, 2005
In Maryland, the state’s second highest court has upheld the use
of mitochondrial DNA evidence. The Court of Special Appeals ruled
the trial judge did not abuse his discretion in allowing
mitochondrial DNA evidence to be used against Russell W. Wagner,
who was subsequently convicted of murder. In Wagner’s case, FBI
scientists obtained mitochondrial DNA from a single strand of hair
found on a glove recovered from a neighbor’s back porch. Defense
attorney’s argued process of this type of DNA evidence is
particularly susceptible to laboratory contamination.
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Exonerations/Innocence Project
Texas Man Free After 17 Years in Custody for a Rape that He Did
Not Commit
The New York Times, December 22, 2004
In Texas, shown by DNA testing to have been wrongly convicted of
rape in 1988, Brandon Moon was released from prison at a court
hearing—the latest among 154 men and women in the United States
exonerated by such tests. Read
More
City of Palo Alto Settles Lawsuit Over Rape Arrest
San Jose Mercury News, December 18, 2004
In California, the city of Palo Alto settled a federal lawsuit
filed by a man arrested for a brutal nursing home rape who was
later exonerated by DNA evidence. Lawyers for the man agreed to
accept $75,000 to settle the case—the second time this year that
Palo Alto has paid out a cash settlement to someone claiming to be
the victim of overzealous police. Lawyers argued that police used
make-believe evidence to manipulate the man into admissions that
led to his arrest. He spent nearly a month in jail before DNA
evidence on the rapist’s jewelry and other items later cleared
him. The crime is still unsolved.
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DNA Hits
DNA Test Prompts Charges Against Minnesota Inmate in ’00 Rape
Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN), January 7, 2005
In Minnesota, a man imprisoned for a violent home invasion was
linked through DNA tests to the rape of a 17-year-old girl in a
north Minneapolis park in 2000. The state Bureau of Criminal
Apprehension gets about a dozen hits on cases each month by
running inmate DNA against a database of unsolved cases.
Massachusetts Inmate Charged in 1990 Rape after 11th Hour DNA
Match
The Boston Globe, December 16, 2004
In Massachusetts, a suspect in a rape case has been identified
through a DNA match and indicted in Essex County just before the
statute of limitations was to expire in the case. The 15-year
statute of limitations would have expired in April. Salem police
detectives, aware of the pending expiration, asked for evidence to
be retested against the national database. The man is currently in
prison for a murder in 2000.
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Informational Resources
Save April 5, 2005 – “A Day to End Sexual Violence”
A day for all of us to have an event to raise awareness. Across
the nation, we can each do something on April 5th to make it “A
Day to End Sexual Violence.” The NSVRC’s SAAM packet will provide
ideas for an event, or you can create your own.
www.nsvrc.org Toll
Free (877) 739-3895, Email: resources@nsvrc.org
Voice Translators for Law Enforcement” now available online
When law enforcement officers encounter suspects who do not speak
English, they need a way to communicate clearly and quickly.
Electronic voice translators convey basic instructions in the
suspect’s own language. “Voice Translators for Law Enforcement,”
is available online at the National Institute of Justice Web site
at:
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/pubs-sum/205837.htm
NIJ tested the capabilities of three translation devices, all of
them compact, voice-activated, and programmed with short phrases
like “Follow me” and “Can you walk?” The aim of the test was to
find out which one is best for law enforcement use. The Voice
Response Translator works best: it responds fastest, has a
longer-lasting battery, and is the only one of the three with
hands-free capability.
NIJ is the research, development, and evaluation agency of the
U.S. Department of Justice and is dedicated to researching crime
control and justice issues. For more information on NIJ, please
visit
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij
The National Center on the Prosecution of Violence Against Women
Online Discussion Group
This online discussion group is available to all prosecutors and
allied professionals interested in the prosecution of domestic
violence and sexual assault. The forum will be available to seek
advice, recommendations, and answers from prosecutors and allied
professionals across the country. The discussion group will also
be a resource for information on the National Center on the
Prosecution of Violence Against Women’s events, trainings and
research. You can sign up by using this form or on your own by
typing the following website address into your browser:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/APRI-VAWP
Website on Army Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program
This site describes the U.S. Army program that has a goal of
reinforcing "the Army's commitment to eliminate incidents of
sexual assault through a comprehensive policy that focuses on
education, prevention, integrated victim support, rapid reporting,
thorough investigation, appropriate action, and follow-up." The
site provides information about U.S. Army policies and procedures,
and links to related information. It can be accessed at:
Army
Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program
IACP Releases Three Training Keys on Sexual Assault Investigation
The International Association of Chiefs of Police recently
published a series of three
training keys on Investigating Sexual
Assault, authored by Joanne Archambault.
Training Key #571 addresses procedures and best practices for
investigating sexual assaults and working with victims of sexual
violence. It is the first in the three-part series.
Training Key #572 further focuses on investigative procedures,
particularly the role of the forensic examination. As many have
noted, an effective and timely forensic examination aids
immeasurably in the investigation and prosecution of sex
offenders. Yet victim-centered care is paramount to the success of
the forensic examination of victims of sexual assault. It is
therefore critical to adapt the forensic examination and the care
given to the circumstances of each victim as much as possible.
Training Key #573 is the third in the series, and focuses on
“Investigative Strategy and Prosecution.” This Training Key is
designed to help officers and investigators determine what “type”
of sexual assault cases they are handling, predict which defense
is most likely to be raised, and guide an investigative strategy
toward overcoming that particular defense.
These three Training Keys on sexual assault investigation are
published and copyrighted (2004) by the International Association
of Chiefs of Police. For more information or to order a copy of
the Training Keys, please contact:
Shannon Gorey, Training Key
Program, IACP, 515 N. Washington St., Alexandria, VA 22314-2357;
703/836-6767 x 319; 800/THE IACP; Fax: 703/836-4543.
OVW Releases
A National Protocol for Sexual Assault Medical
Forensic Examinations
Offering assistance to victims in the immediate aftermath of a
sexual assault is essential. For this reason, the Office on
Violence Against Women recently developed a protocol to help
health care providers, law enforcement officers, advocates, and
others address the health needs of sexual assault victims and to
minimize the trauma they experience. Additionally, health care
providers need to know how to conduct a proper medical forensic
exam to ensure that DNA and other evidence collected from the
victim will be valid in court. This manual is available at:
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/vawo/
NCJ Releases 2005 Guide for National Crime Victims’ Rights Week
Download your copy of the
2005 National Crime Victims' Rights Week
Guide (NCJ 207049)—your resource for promoting awareness of victim
issues. The Guide comes complete with camera-ready art files,
posters, and sample PSAs as well as victimization statistics and
special event ideas.
RAINN Offers Materials for Student Outreach
Kelly Bevis, the Outreach Coordinator for RAINN advises they have
material available for student outreach. The materials are free,
and they are perfect to distribute during Sexual Assault Awareness
and Prevention Month. These materials include two types of
informational cards: the “Get Carded” cards are geared towards
college students, and the “Before & After” cards are geared
towards high school students.
If you would like to receive some of the cards, please email Kelly
at kelleyb@rainn.org. She needs to know your mailing address, and
the number of cards you would like to receive. Please request them
in increments of 1,000. Cards will be distributed on a first-come,
first-served basis.
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Upcoming Conferences
EVAW International presents an
International Conference on Sexual
Assault, Domestic Violence & Stalking ~ October 3, 4 & 5, 2005
in the beautiful Inner Harbor of Baltimore, MD. Register early!
Visit our website now for registration forms and conference
information. The full agenda,
abstracts for each session and biographical sketches for
presenters is viewable now.
10th National – 3rd International Conference on Abuse of Children
and Adults with Disabilities. March 14-16, 2005, Riverside
Convention Center, Riverside, California. For information contact:
Arc-Riverside(888) 818-6298 (outside CA) OR (951) 688-7207, within
CA. Register on line at
www.disability-abuse.com/cando
Third National SART Training Conference, June 1 - 3, 2005, San
Francisco Hilton, San Francisco California. Please log on to
www.sane-sart.com today to download a copy of the registration
brochure and the Agenda / Speaker /Workshop listing.
2005 National Victim Assistance Academy, June 5-10, 2005, Fresno,
CA – Topeka, KS For registration information, contact the Joint
Center on Violence and Victim Studies (785) 231-1010, ext. 1339 or
1242. E-mail: Thomas.underwood@washburn.edu
SCESA, National Organization of Sisters of Color Ending Sexual
Assault, June 28-July 1, 2005, San Juan, Puerto Rico. “Building
Community for Learning and Sharing” A Women of Color Leadership
Institute to explore our history, enhance our skills and build
community.
For more information email SCESA at
sistersl@sisterslead.org
9th International Family Violence Research Conference, July 10-13,
2005, Sheraton Harborside Hotel, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. For
details, go to
http://www.unh.edu/frl/conferences
National Sexual Assault Conference, September 28-30, 2005 at the
Sheraton Station Square in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A national
conference on sexual violence prevention and Intervention
(formerly the Mid-Atlantic Sexual Assault Conference) Hosted by PCAR and NSVRC.
www.nsvrc.org
NIJ/MAPS announces the 8th Annual Crime Mapping Research
Conference. The conference is to be held, September 7 - 10, 2005
at the Savannah Westin Golf & Spa Resort, in Savannah, Georgia.
This year's theme is Research & Practice Affecting Public Policy.
This conference, hosted by the National Institute of Justice's
MAPS program, brings together researchers and practitioners to
learn about recent innovative research and share practical
experiences with crime mapping & analysis. Additional information
is available at
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/maps/savannah2005/
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