Victim Notification Protocols for Untested Sexual Assault Kits: Survivors' and Advocates' Perspectives on Law Enforcement-Led Outreach Methods
Campbell, Rebecca Gregory, Katie Goodman-Williams, Rachael Engleton, Jasmine Javorka, McKenzie
Campbell, Rebecca
Gregory, Katie
Goodman-Williams, Rachael
Engleton, Jasmine
Javorka, McKenzie
Other Names
Location
Time Period
Advisors
Original Date
Digitization Date
Issue Date
2023-09
Type
Article
Genre
Keywords
Rape kits,Sexual assault kits,Trauma-informed,Victim notification
Subjects (LCSH)
Citation
Campbell, R., Gregory, K., Goodman-Williams, R., Engleton, J., & Javorka, M. (2023).Victim Notification Protocols for Untested Sexual Assault Kits: Survivors' and Advocates' Perspectives on Law Enforcement-Led Outreach Methods. Violence Against Women. https://doi.org/10.1177/10778012231200479
Abstract
Current estimates suggest there are 300,000-400,000 untested sexual assault kits (SAKs) in police department storage facilities throughout the United States. As these kits are being discovered and then submitted for forensic DNA testing, legal system personnel may recontact victims. These "victim notifications" involve informing survivors their kits were previously untested, sharing the results of new DNA testing, and asking for their engagement in reinvestigating and prosecuting the case. Typically, victim notifications are conducted by police, and survivors are connected with victim advocates soon thereafter. In this study, we interviewed survivors about their experiences of being notified by the police. We also interviewed about their work supporting survivors. Both survivors and advocates expressed strong concerns about police conducting notifications without an advocate present.
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Publisher
SAGE Publications Inc.
Journal
Book Title
Series
Violence Against Women
Digital Collection
Finding Aid URL
Use and Reproduction
Archival Collection
PubMed ID
DOI
ISSN
1552-8448 (online)
1077-8012 (print)
1077-8012 (print)