Investigation of Sexual Assault Crimes (From Criminal and Civil Investigation Handbook, P 8-49 to 8-68, 1981, Joseph J Grau and Ben Jacobson, ed. - See NCJ-84274)

• NCJ Number: 84328
• Author(s): F J DeLuca
• Date Published: 1981
• Length: 20 pages
• Sale Source: McGraw-Hill Publishing Co
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

This discussion of the investigation of sexual assault crimes considers types of cases and investigations, dealing with victims of sexual assault, and other aspects of sexual assault investigation.

Abstract

Types of cases are indicated to be distinguished by the nature of the force involved and the age of the victim, and the basic types of sex crime investigations are categorized as (1) the pattern case, which involves repeated patterns of offenses by hardcore sexual offenders; (2) the known-offender case, where the victim and offender know one another, (3) the unfounded case, where the complaint is false; and (4) the referred case, which is misclassified as a sexual assault. The psychological dynamics of a victim's reaction following a sexual assault are described, and advice is given to help investigators relate to victims under these circumstances. Attention is also given to interviewing child victims. Guidance is provided for the first officer on the scene in the areas of gaining the confidence of the victim, dealing with the victim's family, safeguarding the crime scene, and instructing and transporting the victim. Advice for the investigator covers the types of evidence that might be obtained in a sexual assault case, when to interview, who should be present at the interview, the canvass, the use of photo files, and the use of the polygraph and hypnosis.