NCJ Number
211970
Date Published
April 2007
Length
0 pages
Annotation
Intended for those who work with crime victims, this DVD raises awareness about various issues involved in working with victims whose cases include the collection and use of DNA evidence.
Abstract
In two cases featured, sexual assault victims discuss their feelings about describing details of their assault to police and their confusion about the procedure for collecting DNA evidence from offender fluids left on the victim's body. The importance of using sexual assault nurse examiners (SANEs) in sexual assault cases is emphasized. These are nurses trained to interact with, interview, and collect DNA evidence from sexual assault victims. Part of a SANE's job is to explain to the victim the nature and importance of DNA evidence in identifying and convicting offenders. The work of sexual assault response teams (SARTs) in sexual assault cases is also explained. Prosecutors and police investigators discuss the building of a case that has DNA evidence, including the use of CODIS (Combined DNA Index System) to search for a DNA match. Emphasis is given to informing victims about the DNA matching process and the possibility that the offender's DNA collected from the victim may not be found in CODIS if it was not collected from the offender in a previous crime. Victims should be told that periodic reruns for DNA matches will continue to be performed as long as the case remains open. One section of the DVD describes how DNA evidence collection has helped in solving crimes in Indian Country, particularly since the FBI Lab has assigned a special unit to process DNA evidence from crimes on Indian reservations. Another case featured in the DVD is a murder case in which a primary suspect was excluded due to DNA evidence before a DNA match was found some years later.