NATIONAL INITIATIVES - OBJECTIVES 2007-2008

Teams are looking forward to:

• Developing strategies and mechanisms to improve response, investigative services, and prosecution for “typical” victims of sexual assault
• Receiving feedback about sexual assault services and gaps in services in their communities, based on analysis of community specific data collected
• Working collaboratively with local and regional agencies and government to develop and share guidelines, protocols, and policies to encourage and support more prosecution of “typical” sexual assault cases. 
• Seeking opportunities to work with the media to increase public awareness of, and to counteract sexual assault stereotypes.
• Collaboratively developing consistent community responses to sexual assault, and increasing community awareness of services and processes.
• Developing improved strategies for dealing with drug and alcohol facilitated sexual assaults
• Sexual assault examination kit standardization

Thanks to the generous support of the Donner Canadian Foundation the teams will be working on the following initiatives in 2007-2008.

1. Sexual Assault Kit Standardization Initiative

The teams are committed to identifying and incorporating best practices in forensic evidence collection by providing input into content of Canadian sexual assault examination kits and practices related to their use. They will also have the opportunity to test a variety of tools under review. The teams note that they are committed to helping to create a kit that will meet the needs of end users and of laboratory personnel.

2. Website Maintenance

The website will be updated and enhanced to increase awareness of the project and continuing reform efforts in sexual assault support, advocacy, investigation, forensic medical examinations, and prosecutions, in a manner that is useful and meets user needs. 

  A short, informal team survey will be conducted on usage and to obtain recommendations for improvement.

Resource materials will be sought and posted.

Links to organizations participating in the project have been added to the website.

3. Data Collection

The teams have agreed that the value of data collection and analysis is crucial to providing a comprehensive picture of how, and through what services, sexual assault victims are accessing support, agency assistance, and the legal system. Comparing the data findings both within and across disciplines and communities will make it possible to gain an improved understanding of how communities respond in a coordinated way and will inform strategies for increasing the number of successfully prosecuted non-stranger sexual assaults.

  Data collection started May 1, 2007. The teams are looking forward to receiving activity summaries they can utilize to develop improved services within their communities and organizations.

4. Development of an Investigator’s Handbook for Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault Investigations

All teams have indicated that they are dealing with increasing numbers of drug facilitated sexual assaults. Although there is considerable information on drug facilitated sexual assaults available, it is fragmented and is not in a format that provides easy reference for victim service and support workers, police, forensic medical examiners, and prosecutors.

  Making a Difference Canada proposes to conduct research and develop a practical investigator’s guide that outlines how evidence in drug facilitated sexual assault cases should be gathered, preserved, and presented to maximize the likelihood of successful prosecution. This guide will be valuable for victim services, support workers, police, forensic medical examiners and prosecutors.

5. Legal Research

Legal research for the upcoming year will build and expand on the development of the objection tool to equip prosecutors with an enhanced ability to prepare for, and pursue, sexual assault cases, even when interference based on myths and stereotypes is anticipated. Efforts will focus on:

1. Identification and development of strategies using expert witnesses and social science research to combat rape myths and stereotypes.

As members of the Supreme Court of Canada have noted, many victims will not see their cases prosecuted because their facts do not conform to myths and stereotypes about "real" sexual assault and victims. Prosecutors drop cases based on their anticipation that judges and juries have internalized these myths and that they would be unlikely to convict in the circumstances despite the presence of all the elements of the offense. There is significant published, peer-reviewed research available that outlines the true profile of sexual assault and describes why victims may behave in ways that seem counterintuitive. Research is required to equip prosecutors with an understanding of the use of this type of evidence to pre-empt and rebut sexual assault myths used by the defense or internalized by judges and juries.

  Legal research by MAD Canada will develop strategies for the use of appropriate social science research and expert witnesses to counteract these myths and stereotypes. Team members have indicated that use of expert witnesses and social science research by the Crown in sexual assault trials has so far been limited. This initiative will include documentation on the successful employment of expert testimony and social science research in Canada, and the development of a reference tool for prosecutors.

6. Other

Making a Difference Canada will explore opportunities to host a national training event and to conduct further research on the development of tools and educational materials for prosecutors to better fight defense applications to access sexual history and personal records based on the provisions of the Criminal Code Sections 276 and 278 which seek to extinguish discriminatory myths and protect the constitutional rights of victims.