Notifying Sexual Assault Victims After Testing Evidence
Publication Date: 2016
Abstract: In 2011, after a competitive selection process, NIJ awarded grants to the Wayne County (Detroit), Michigan Prosecutor's Office and to the Houston Police Department to look at the issue of sexual assault kits (SAKs) that had not previously been sent to a crime laboratory for DNA testing. The overarching goal of this project was to identify effective, sustainable responses regarding previously untested SAKs. Using a victim-centered approach for notifying victims about the status of their sexual assault cases may help minimize the trauma a victim experiences when receiving this type of information, especially in older cases. This brochure, one in a series of four, is derived from lessons learned in the project.