CJC-5005AG - Criminal Sexual Assault Investigation

Course Description

By its very nature, most sexual assaults occur in private, that is without witnesses to the crime and occur when there is some kind of relationship between the offender and the victim. The defense is “nothing like that happened” or the victim consented rather than revisited. Additionally, victims may wait before reporting the crime to the police. These circumstances may make it very difficult to successfully prosecute the offender for his crimes.

Research and experience has shown that the completeness and accuracy of victims’ accounts are important factors in whether or not the case is solved. However, victims’ reports of crimes, particularly involving sexual assault and domestic violence, are sometimes known to be incomplete and partially incorrect, often viewed by others as “unreliable”. This course will explore the ways of determining when a victim or witness is mistaken or has memory gaps due to fear, anger, shame, guilt, psychological and physical trauma, and alcohol and drug intoxication.

Also covered in depth are various investigative techniques including pretext telephone calls, search warrant applications, victim interviews, compliant victims of sexual assault, late reported sexual assaults, case preparation to present for prosecution. Particular attention is given to investigation of “late reported” sexual assaults.