Asa Policy And Procedures Flashcards
12 key process points
- initial actions on contact
- Case referral.
- Providing specialist support.
- Preliminary interview.
- Information feedback.
- Medical exam.
- Formal interview.
- Investigation and evidence assessment.
- Resolution options.
- Prosecution.
- Final actions and recordkeeping
- Preventative opportunities and responsibilities.
Who does the policy apply to?
With the victim of the alleged offending is 17 years of age or older at the time the complaint has made
Partner agencies
- specialist sexual assault support groups
- Medical forensic practitioners - medical assault clinicians Aotearoa (MEDSAC)
Local level agreements
LLA’s
Agreements entered into by DBH to ensure there are agreed and active processes and lines of enquiry so clients receive coordinated assistance
SAATS
Sexual abuse assessment and treatment service
Timing of complaint
- Acute (within seven days)
- Non-acute (7+ days but before six months)
- Historic (after six months)
Initial action priorities
- privacy
- Safety of the victim is paramount
- Victim details and brief circumstances
- Advise/offer specialist sexual assault support
- Refer to CIB
- Preserve evidence
- Explain process to victim
Case referral priorities
- refer as soon as possible
- Any further questioning must be undertaken by ASA investigator
Providing specialist support priorities
- Greatly improved outcomes
- Major effect on victim
- Prevent revictimisation
- Maximise psychological and emotional well-being
- advised victim as soon as possible
- Offered to all victims
Pros of specialist support
- Experienced
- Family members may also be traumatised
- family members may become witnesses and influence victim
- Family members can create issues around disclosure
- Family and friends may disclose to others
Preliminary interview priorities
- As soon as practical
- Outline facts
- Victim and public safety
- Urgent investigative needs such as lost evidence, medical circumstances, suspect likely actions
- Conducted somewhere safe and private
- Space not used by offenders
- Offered sexual assault support
Preliminary interview priorities
- As soon as practical
- Outline facts
- Victim and public safety
- Urgent investigative needs such as lost evidence, medical circumstances, suspect likely actions
- Conducted somewhere safe and private
- Space not used by offenders
- Offered sexual assault support
- Information feedback priorities.
- Provide information about services available
- Explain why actions are necessary
- Preferred communication arrangements
- Information about investigation process
- Victims views and expectations
- decisions around what happens if a complaint is withdrawn or investigation is not proceeded
- Medical forensic examination priorities.
- Primary objective is victims well-being and safety
- complying with local level agreements
- examination venues must be comfortable, nonthreatening, secure, private and safe
- MEK (medical examination kits)
- explain process and potential health benefits
- Formal interview priorities.
- preferably by level three interviewer
- vulnerability of victim is key consideration
- Explain process and informative interview
- electronically recorded
- Investigation and evidence assessment priorities.
- Conflict of interest
- Case investigation plans
- Crime scene examination
- exhibits
- Obtain complaint witnesses people victim have spoken to
- conduct other enquiries e.g area canvas, propensity, media releases
- Resolving investigations.
- arrest, warning, inactivate
If victim does not want to make a formal complaint
- Fully investigate before deciding to take further action
If victim withdraws complaint
- consider the views
- offer assistance
- Advise investigation or prosecution may continue without their complaint
- Prosecution actions.
- preparation of documents, exhibits electronically recorded evidence
- Vulnerability of victims. Meet with prosecutor, visit courtroom.
- Restrict attendance of media
- Victim impact statement
- Provide details for victim notification register
- Final actions and recordkeeping
- explain outcome or court findings
- Support is present
- Conduct debrief of investigation
- Can only be filed by level four trained ASA supervisor
- Prevention opportunities and responsibilities priorities.
- improve police response
- Further investigative work that could link the offence to other unsolved cases
- Prevent sexual revictimisation
- Educational opportunities
Oversight and monitoring
SAS reports
-number of cases in case assessment, active cases, 30 days old, 90 days since last recorded victim contact
Monitoring framework (quality assurance and improvement framework)
- Improve service delivery
- Quality of investigations
- visibility of reports
