Results of a multi-year evaluation that looked at the impact the Avalon SANE Program has on the progression of sexual assault cases that go through the criminal justice system were released Wednesday.
“Police indicated the SANE program is essential and integral to police investigations. Particularly when the forensic evidence or other evidence documented such as injuries can be used to corroborate or add to what the victim has said,” program evaluator Peggy Mahon said.
A total of 1,918 HRP and RCMP cases met the required criteria to be used in SANE’s evaluation.
The criteria required victims be 16 years of age or older at the time of their assault and that cases could be found electronically in the HRP/RCMP Versadex Records Management system.
READ MORE: ‘We’re deeply concerned’: Halifax taxi industry on sexual assaults
Of the 1,918 cases, 94 per cent were females, six per cent were male and three identified as Trans.
Charges were laid in 23 per cent of the total cases.
Low conviction rates continue to be a massive issue in sexual assault cases.
A large number of cases in the study (41 per cent) resulted in charges not being laid by the victim.
“There’s various challenges depending on the investigation. Most investigations are between two people so there’s not a lot of additional witnesses. In some cases there is physical evidence but the biggest issue is consent at the end of the day,” Halifax Regional Police Deputy Chief Bill Moore said.
The Avalon Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) program provides 24/7 support to victims and survivors.
Nurses are referred to as “SANEs” and have specialized training and education in forensic examination of sexual assault victims.
“We work within a sexual assault centre so we get the issue much more intimately. It’s what we do, we don’t work in the hospital business, we work in the sexual assault business. So that brings with it a different approach, that brings with it a very trauma-informed approach,” Susan Wilson, the SANE Program Coordinator, said.
The evaluation began in September 2014, collecting and analyzing data, specifically from the Halifax region criminal justice statistics.
The data used was from 2005 to 2014 and was partnered with qualitative data collected through over 60 interviews and surveys.
The research was funded by the Department of Justice Canada Victim’s Fund Grant and 23 recommendations are being released.
One of the key recommendations involved improved trauma response care across all of the sexual assault agencies from emergency rooms to courthouses.
“Those cases where the police were ready to move forward with charges, we don’t know exactly why those victims dropped off but perhaps if the system was more trauma informed, the victim might have felt more supported or if the victim had more support through a legal advocate, perhaps that case would have moved forward,” Mahon said.
The ‘Seeking Healing & Truth’ research project recommendations will be reviewed.
- Canadian man dies during Texas Ironman event. His widow wants answers as to why
- ‘Shock and disbelief’ after Manitoba school trustee’s Indigenous comments
- Several baby products have been recalled by Health Canada. Here’s the list
- ‘Sciatica was gone’: hospital performs robot-assisted spinal surgery in Canadian first
Comments