妻友社区

Mary Frederick Projects

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  Case Review of Police Response to Sexual Assault
  
  

  2020 - 2022

  The Justice and Gender-Based Violence Research Initiative is a sub-contractor collaborating with the Police Executive Research Forum on a comprehensive review of the Austin Police Department鈥檚 handling of sexual assault cases.

  奥颁奥鈥檚 Justice and Gender-Based Violence Research Initiative collaborated with the Philadelphia Women鈥檚 Law Project and the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) to audit the Austin Police Department鈥檚 handling of sexual assault cases.

  In September 2019, the Austin City Council undertook the audit after a highlighted practices used by police departments in Austin and elsewhere to close sexual assault cases inappropriately and without making an arrest. Cases would be classified as 鈥渃leared by exceptional means鈥� and would not move forward in the justice system鈥攁t times when there was enough evidence to make an arrest and police knew who and where the suspect was, and in other instances when the cases had not been completely investigated. 

  This is a topic the Justice and Gender-Based Violence Research Initiative has studied extensively, finding this misdesignation of cases results in very high rates of sexual assault cases being closed without an arrest or trial, a phenomenon known as case attrition.   

  The audit of reports of sexual assaults to Austin police, led by PERF, involved a detailed and systematic review of 1,430 sexual assault cases filed between 2012 and 2020. The review examined the nature and effectiveness of the police response as well as the characteristics of reports that did and did not result in thorough police investigation and those that did not move forward to arrest and prosecution. The team also reviewed the department鈥檚 policies and procedures and conducted interviews with key personnel and with survivors who reported to the police. 

  The was released by the city of Austin in November 2022 and was covered by local news outlets, including the , , and local Austin TV stations. The report found, for example, that detectives infrequently responded to the scene of the incident or the hospital; that detectives鈥� interviews with victims, suspects, and witnesses were often delayed or failed to occur; that antiquated sexual assault policies needed to be updated; and that officers, detectives, and supervisors tasked with responding to sexual assaults were insufficiently trained to do so.

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  Responding to Sexual Assault on Campus: A National Assessment and Systematic Classification of the Scope and Challenges for Investigation and Adjudication
  
  

  2016 - 2019

  This study documented the landscape of U.S. college and university approaches to investigations and adjudication of sexual assault.

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  Sexual Assault Forensic Exams鈥擠NA and Justice Responses to Sexual Assault
  
  

  2013 - 2019

  This project was a supplement to the Sexual Violence Case Attrition Project with a specific focus to examine in greater detail the impact of sexual assault forensic testing (rape kits) on key decision points and outcomes.

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  Sexual Violence Case Attrition
  
  

  2013 - 2019

  This study investigated why and when sexual assault cases "fall out" of the criminal justice system.

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  The Prosecution of Child Sexual Abuse: A Partnership to Improve Outcomes
  
  

  2014 - 2019

  This was a collaborative research project designed to increase knowledge of the criminal prosecution of child sexual abuse cases, the characteristics of cases that go forward to prosecution, and the factors associated with case attrition.