Hamilton police reviewing seven closed sexual assault cases

Examination comes after team found 70 per cent of local ‘unfounded’ cases from 2010 to 2016 were closed incorrectly

HAMILTON POLICE are reviewing seven sexual assault cases, previously closed as “unfounded,” at the request of victims.

This comes in the wake of a review that found 70 per cent of Hamilton sexual assault cases cleared as unfounded between 2010 and 2016 had been closed incorrectly. In response, police said they would review cases at the request of the victims.

“We would like anyone and everyone who would like to have their case reviewed to come foward,” said Deputy Chief Dan Kinsella, noting there is no time limit for when a victim can call.

It takes courage to come forward. But not everyone is in the same place and sexual assault experts told police it could be harmful to reopen cases. That’s why police made it the decision of the victim.

The Sexual Assault Community Review Team included experts from the Sexual Assault Centre Hamilton Area (SACHA), the Sexual Assault Domestic Violence Care Centre at McMaster, the Native Women’s Centre and a regional Crown attorney, who along with police, audited a random sampling of 63 cases, drawn from more than 700. They were given complete access to the cases — a move lauded by SACHA director Lenore Lukasik-Foss, who sits on the team.

An investigative project by the Globe and Mail that examined the high number of sexual assault cases closed by police services across Canada prompted the review.

Each local reopened case has been assigned a new sexual assault detective, who will look for everything from whether there are witnesses who were missed, to whether there is DNA that could be tested, Kinsella said. How far the detective will go will depend on the details of the case.

All of the reviewed cases will then go before the community review team to make sure nothing is missed, he said.

Police have committed to other changes the review team recommended: This includes making the review process permanent, with the team meeting four times a year to examine cases; the continued training of officers around the neurobiology of trauma; and improving police oversight.

Hamilton police are also expected to ask to hire two new sexual assault unit detectives.

“We really want to provide better service to women,” Kinsella said.

Victims who had a case investigated by the sexual assault unit as far back as 2010 who would like a review can call Det. Sgt. Dave Dunbar at 905-546-4962.

Police have committed to other changes the review team recommended, including making the review process permanent with the team meeting four times a year to examine cases.