Exciting things have been happening in Cleveland, Ohio! The
county recently developed a county-wide policy on how to investigate sexual
assault cases. This new policy has been approved by the county Police Chiefs’
Association, and it is expected that most of the departments in Cuyahoga County
will adapt them. A recent article in The
Plain Dealer details the new policy, which is the result of months of work
by police, prosecutors, nurses, and victim advocates.
The policy includes detailed instructions on where to take a
victim of sexual assault for medical treatment and evidence collection. The
policy also informs law enforcement on how the victim may react to the trauma,
and how it can impact the investigation.
The goal of the new policy is to have more victims come
forward, a result of a more compassionate, consistent approach to sexual
assault investigations throughout the county.
At EVAWI, we strongly encourage a coordinated community
response to sexual assault. Cleveland professionals offer a wonderful example of how community members
can come together to create positive change for victims of sexual assault in
the criminal justice system. You can start a dialogue in your own community
too! A great place to start is by participating in the OnLine Training Institute
, and then taking that information back to your local community response team.
Check out the video
on the new policy.
Alison Jones-Lockwood,
Social Media/Outreach Coordinator, EVAWI
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