9/24/1980 - Laserfiche WebLink

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SEP 2 41980 Bou 44 PAGE 620 Even those figures don't tell the whole story. They're just the reported rapes, the victims who wer.en't overcome by shame or fear. Fear of indifference from Police or Prosecutors. Fear of the trial ordeal. Fear of Publicity or embrassment.. Fear that friends or family might find out. Fear of revenge from the attacker. Or fear that no one would believe them. These are the most common reasons for not reporting rapes. If we want to see more reported, more arrests made and more convictions made, we must start at the bottom - with attitudes. We must start educating the public to change attitudes about rape, to increase community awareness of services for rape victims and increase public support for a community -wide response to rape. That's where you come in. We have a plan. It's designed to develop victim -oriented procedures which will reduce the physical and psychological trauma of victims, enhance the victims' treatment, encourage victim cooperation and help in prosecution: It's called a Sexual Assault Team, and here's how it works. As soon as a rape is reported, the first agency contacted - whether hospital personnel or law enforcement authorities, will contact the Sexual Assault Team member through the State Attorney's Office in that County. The team member will go immediately to the victim, whether she's at the Police Station, the Hospital or the crime scene. The Team member will serve as an escort, providing emotional and physical support to the victim, answering any questions she may have, explaining various procedures that will occur and out -lining options. The escort will accompany the victim throughout the whole process - the medical exam, initial and subsequent police interviews, suspect indentification procedures, prosecutor interviews and legal proceedings. If the victim or her family need counseling, the escort will refer them to the proper agency. The empathetic support the escort provides may facilitate the work of the physi ci aii, the police officer, the detective, the prosecutor, and it may be a significant factor in the victim's decision to stay with the entire process. � - r