National Best Practices for Sexual Assault Kits: A ...
U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Justice Programs
National Institute of Justice
National Best Practices
for Sexual Assault Kits:
A Multidisciplinary Approach
U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Justice Programs
810 Seventh St. N.W.
Washington, DC 20531
Howard Spivak
Acting Director, National Institute of Justice
This and other publications and products of the National Institute of Justice can be found at:
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The National Institute of Justice is the research, development and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. NIJ¡¯s
mission is to advance scientific research, development and evaluation to enhance the administration of justice and public safety.
The National Institute of Justice is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice
Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the Office for Victims of Crime; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention; and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking.
Opinions or conclusions expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position or
policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.
NCJ 250384
Contents
Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence
Reporting (SAFER) Act Working Group ....................................................... iii
Summary of Recommendations .................................................................. ix
Background..............................................................................................1
Chapter 1: Multidisciplinary Approach ........................................................7
Chapter 2: The Medical-Forensic Exam and
Sexual Assault Evidence Collection............................................................13
Chapter 3: Transparency and Accountability
of Law Enforcement for SAKs ....................................................................33
Chapter 4: Investigative Considerations .....................................................45
Chapter 5: Processing Sexual Assault Kits in
the Laboratory ........................................................................................53
Chapter 6: Post-Analysis Communication and
Policy Considerations ..............................................................................67
Conclusion .............................................................................................75
Multidisciplinary Sexual Assault Glossary ..................................................79
References..............................................................................................81
Resources...............................................................................................91
Appendix A: Research Supporting
Trauma-Informed Care ...........................................................................107
Appendix B: Federal Government Recommendations.................................109
Appendix C: The Persistence of Body Fluids and DNA...............................113
Appendix D: Recommended High-Throughput
Process Flow for Sexual Assault Kits.........................................................115
Appendix E: Outsourcing Sexual Assault Kits............................................117
Appendix F: Highlights of the NIJ Action
Research Projects in Detroit and Houston..................................................119
Appendix G: 15 Key Principles for Developing
a Victim Notification Protocol .................................................................121
Appendix H: Victim Notification Process ..................................................123
National Best Practices for Sexual Assault Kits: A Multidisciplinary Approach
?
i
Sexual Assault Forensic
Evidence Reporting (SAFER)
Act Working Group
T
he SAFER Working Group was developed to address the SAFER (Sexual
Assault Forensic Evidence Reporting) Act of 2013, which recommends,
in part, the development of best practices and protocols for the collection
and processing of DNA evidence in sexual assault cases.1
The SAFER Working Group, which convened over the course of more than two
years, consisted of subject matter experts empaneled by the National Institute
of Justice (NIJ) and representing victims, victim advocates, sexual assault nurse
examiners, medical examiners, forensic laboratories, law enforcement agencies,
prosecutors, and the judiciary. The working group considered issues relating to
evidence collection; prioritization of evidence and time periods for collection;
evidence inventory, tracking, and auditing technology solutions; investigative
and policy considerations; and communication strategies. With the diversity
of backgrounds and views, the SAFER Working Group successfully reached
substantial agreement on a variety of complex issues.
A draft of this document was also posted for public comment in August 2016
and received a litany of generally positive feedback along with a number of
extremely helpful suggestions. All of the comments were considered, deliberated,
and ultimately used to strengthen the document. The recommendations in this
document are not mandated by any governing body; they are provided as
recommended best practices based on research, well-established processes
from other disciplines, extensive professional experience of the working group
members, and input from the public.
1
The Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Reporting Act of 2013 (SAFER Act), P.L. 113-4, ¡ì 1002, (o)(1).
National Best Practices for Sexual Assault Kits: A Multidisciplinary Approach
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iii
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