Content Advisory
Please be aware that this content contains descriptions of violence that may be distressing to some viewers.Following a sexual assault, victims are usually advised to have a medical forensic exam and sexual assault forensic exam kit SAK.
Following a sexual assault, victims are usually advised to have a medical forensic exam and sexual assault forensic exam kit SAK. Once completed, the SAK is to be transported by law enforcement to the crime lab for analysis. However, many kits are never transported to the crime lab, thereby preventing forensic evidence obtained in the kit to be used during the prosecutorial process. The current study examined rates of SAK submission for 393 adolescent sexual assault cases in two Midwestern communities and explored what factors predicted law enforcement officers' submission of SAKs to the crime lab for analysis. Findings reveal that more than 40% of the adolescent cases did not have their SAK submitted, and several factors, including the age and race of the victim, the number of perpetrators in the assault, and the number of assaultive acts, predicted SAK submission. Implications for SAK community protocols are discussed. Abstract published by arrangement with Sage.
Downloads
Similar Publications
- 'Buffers' Against Crime? Exploring the Roles and Limitations of Positive Relationships Among Women in Prison
- The Cross-Reactivity of the Cannabinoid Analogs (delta-8-THC, delta-10-THC and CBD) and their metabolites in Urine of Six Commercially Available Homogeneous Immunoassays, Grant Report
- Just Science Podcast: Just Resolving a Capital Murder Case in Denton, Texas