New guideline to help police better investigate sexual assault

Consultations included support groups to ensure ‘dignity and respect’ for victims

Law enforcement agencies in Alberta have a new guide for supporting sexual assault victims and how to better investigate cases of sexual violence.

Status of Women Minister Stephanie McLean and Justice Minister Kathleen Ganley made the announcement in Calgary on Friday alongside Calgary police Chief Roger Chaffin and Deb Tomlinson, CEO of the Association of Alberta Sexual Assault.

The new best practice guide — developed by the province, law enforcement and sexual violence support groups — outlines new investigative procedures for more reliable evidence-gathering in cases of sexual violence while respecting the physical, psychological and emotional trauma of victims.

“This will help ensure sexual assault cases will be investigated in a way that treats survivors with dignity, empathy and respect,” Ganley said.

Chaffin said the new framework will allow officers to reach out and connect with victims when investigating sexual assaults, adding the guide incorporates elements of the force’s Philadelphia Model pilot project which enters a test phase in July.

“That same theme applies throughout this manual,” he said. “It’s really a case about thoughtfulness, about being trauma-informed by being victim-focused, by making sure we reach out beyond our narrow view of sexual violence.

“And that doesn’t come simply by the use of the Criminal Code,” he said. “It sometimes comes with a more complex approach.”

The 31-page document updates a wide range of investigative practices, including how officers respond to the reporting of sexual violence, evidence collection procedures and how interviews with victims are conducted.

Resources have also been made available for officers to better understand and dispel stereotypes surrounding sexual assault victims.

McLean said only five per cent of incidents of sexual violence in the province are reported to police, often because victims feel “fear, self-blame and stigma.”

The guide is based on three pillars: shifting toward a culture of consent and gender equality, funding and protecting front line services for victims, and improving how law enforcement and government institutions respond to sexual violence.

“Survivors, we need them to feel empowered,” McLean said. “We need them to come forward and report and to know that they’ll be treated with dignity and respect.”

The guide was written by the Sexual Violence Police Advisory Committee, a multi-agency group formed in 2015 to improve institutional responses to sexual violence.

And while no victims were directly involved with the drafting of the guide, Tomlinson said the inclusion of sexual assault centres, who work “day in and day out,” was a critical step in the development process.

“We are able to understand what they’re going through as they make their way through the criminal justice system and, in that way, provide their perspective.”

The best practice guide can be viewed on the Alberta government website.