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| Washington DC police 'need better training to help sex assault victims' | Washington DC police 'need better training to help sex assault victims' |
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| Police in Washington DC should be subject to scrutiny by an independent expert to ensure they investigate sexual assault properly and treat victims fairly, according to a report for the city council released on Thursday. | Police in Washington DC should be subject to scrutiny by an independent expert to ensure they investigate sexual assault properly and treat victims fairly, according to a report for the city council released on Thursday. |
| Victims themselves should have the right to an advocate during police interviews and rape kit exams, the report said. It called for new legislation to be drawn up and other measures implemented to increase external oversight of the police and improve services for victims. | Victims themselves should have the right to an advocate during police interviews and rape kit exams, the report said. It called for new legislation to be drawn up and other measures implemented to increase external oversight of the police and improve services for victims. |
| It also recommends improved training, better measures for evaluation of sex crimes detectives and a broader complaints process for the public. | It also recommends improved training, better measures for evaluation of sex crimes detectives and a broader complaints process for the public. |
| An independent team of legal experts from the law firm Crowell & Moring was called in by Washington's city council to review a report published in January 2013 by campaign group Human Rights Watch (HRW) into conduct by the sex crimes team at the district's Metropolitan police department (MPD). | An independent team of legal experts from the law firm Crowell & Moring was called in by Washington's city council to review a report published in January 2013 by campaign group Human Rights Watch (HRW) into conduct by the sex crimes team at the district's Metropolitan police department (MPD). |
| Crowell & Moring's seven-strong team concludes in a report presented to the city council that the police and HRW made mistakes. | |
| Police practices were "inadequate", while HRW's methodology in assessing how many sex assault cases were ignored was "flawed", said Phil Mendelson, chairman of the city council, in summarising the legal team's report on Thursday. | Police practices were "inadequate", while HRW's methodology in assessing how many sex assault cases were ignored was "flawed", said Phil Mendelson, chairman of the city council, in summarising the legal team's report on Thursday. |
| But ultimately the confrontation has led to a series of improvements on the ground for victims and the prospect of major further improvements aimed at increasing the public's trust in the police and solving more sex crimes, Crowell & Moring's report said. | But ultimately the confrontation has led to a series of improvements on the ground for victims and the prospect of major further improvements aimed at increasing the public's trust in the police and solving more sex crimes, Crowell & Moring's report said. |
| Human Rights Watch and the police had both contended their priority was ensuring that rape and sexual assault victims and their cases received the best possible treatment and investigation by officers. But those aims have been frequently overshadowed in the last year in the bitter dispute that developed while the campaign group was probing police practices and drawing up its report. | Human Rights Watch and the police had both contended their priority was ensuring that rape and sexual assault victims and their cases received the best possible treatment and investigation by officers. But those aims have been frequently overshadowed in the last year in the bitter dispute that developed while the campaign group was probing police practices and drawing up its report. |
| HRW and MPD also invited the Department of Justice to conduct a review of policing in the capital. | HRW and MPD also invited the Department of Justice to conduct a review of policing in the capital. |
| When HRW published the results of its two-year investigation into the police in Washington earlier this year, it concluded that many reports of sexual assault were not investigated and many victims were maltreated by detectives. The MPD chief Cathy Lanier strongly disputed the findings of the report, prompting the city council to launch an independent review by Crowell & Moring. The Justice Department has so far not intervened. | |
| The Crowell & Moring team outlined its findings to the council on Thursday morning. "Although MPD had improved its treatment of victims and its handling of sexual assault investigations dramatically since the time of many of the incidents in the (HRW) report, detectives did mishandle some investigations," says the independent report. | The Crowell & Moring team outlined its findings to the council on Thursday morning. "Although MPD had improved its treatment of victims and its handling of sexual assault investigations dramatically since the time of many of the incidents in the (HRW) report, detectives did mishandle some investigations," says the independent report. |
| Crowell & Moring's report also criticizes HRW and said that most of the cases it had described as missing had since been located and matched up with crime reports emanating from the hospital where victims received treatment. | Crowell & Moring's report also criticizes HRW and said that most of the cases it had described as missing had since been located and matched up with crime reports emanating from the hospital where victims received treatment. |
| "MPD did not fail to document and investigate sexual assault cases in 170 instances as HRW asserted … But, while the HRW report is flawed, the victims' complaints it contains are real," the report says. | |
| Lanier, the MPD chief, said the law firm's review backed up her conclusion that the Human Rights Watch report was deliberately biased against the department. But she added: "Over the past five years, MPD and the district's entire criminal justice and victims' services system have been working together to improve the response of our investigation of sexual assaults." | |
| The law firm's report said HRW had used dates to match victims' treatment in hospital to corresponding police files, not names because they could not have access to victims' names for confidentiality reasons. This lead to some incorrect analysis, according to Crowell & Moring, whose team was given access to victims' names during its review of MPD's performance. | |
| Only five cases turned out to be missing altogether, according to Crowell & Moring. It also accused HRW of over-emphasising the plight of aggrieved victims and dwelling too heavily on what it now believes are past practices, prior to recent police reforms. | Only five cases turned out to be missing altogether, according to Crowell & Moring. It also accused HRW of over-emphasising the plight of aggrieved victims and dwelling too heavily on what it now believes are past practices, prior to recent police reforms. |
| But, in turn, MPD's opposition to HRW had been "aggressive" and much improvement in police practice was still needed, the legal team and the council concluded earlier today. | But, in turn, MPD's opposition to HRW had been "aggressive" and much improvement in police practice was still needed, the legal team and the council concluded earlier today. |
| There have been many changes of personnel, policy and practice at MPD's Sexual Assault Unit since a lawsuit was filed against it by an aggrieved assault victim in 2007 and more recently prompted by HRW's probe, the report says. "We have concluded that while the report is flawed in certain respects, it was a catalyst for positive change," Crowell & Moring says. | There have been many changes of personnel, policy and practice at MPD's Sexual Assault Unit since a lawsuit was filed against it by an aggrieved assault victim in 2007 and more recently prompted by HRW's probe, the report says. "We have concluded that while the report is flawed in certain respects, it was a catalyst for positive change," Crowell & Moring says. |
| The HRW report had accelerated "significant improvements" at MPD. "But they need to make more improvements," said Keith Harrison, the partner at Crowell & Moring who led the review. | The HRW report had accelerated "significant improvements" at MPD. "But they need to make more improvements," said Keith Harrison, the partner at Crowell & Moring who led the review. |
| In 2011 MPD made changes in the Sexual Assault Unit "by removing detectives who had not displayed a victim-centered approach to investigations," the report says. | In 2011 MPD made changes in the Sexual Assault Unit "by removing detectives who had not displayed a victim-centered approach to investigations," the report says. |
| Then in 2012 after receiving a draft of HRW's report, MPD issued new directives to improve detectives' performance and accountability and the way cases were classified. Since the HRW report was published, MPD now mandates the recording of all interviews with victims of sexual attacks. | Then in 2012 after receiving a draft of HRW's report, MPD issued new directives to improve detectives' performance and accountability and the way cases were classified. Since the HRW report was published, MPD now mandates the recording of all interviews with victims of sexual attacks. |
| Thursday's report calls for further measures, chiefly: | Thursday's report calls for further measures, chiefly: |
| • Legislation to give victims the right to an advocate to be with them during police interview and their forensic medical exam (rape kit). | • Legislation to give victims the right to an advocate to be with them during police interview and their forensic medical exam (rape kit). |
| • Washington should retain an expert in sexual assault investigations to serve as adviser to MPD and ensure best practice. | • Washington should retain an expert in sexual assault investigations to serve as adviser to MPD and ensure best practice. |
| • The police need additional training and funding. | • The police need additional training and funding. |
| • The complaints process should be made easier for citizens to access. | • The complaints process should be made easier for citizens to access. |
| • The city council should review MPD's handling of sexual assault investigations at least annually, assisted by the new independent expert consultant. | • The city council should review MPD's handling of sexual assault investigations at least annually, assisted by the new independent expert consultant. |
| Meanwhile, HRW insists that the main findings of its report were valid and that its concerns about MPD's conduct have been reinforced. HRW's own review concludes that one third of cases they have investigated had been mishandled and more than 100 reports of sexual assault coming from victims who ended up at the hospital were not documented or were misclassified in a way that would not require further police work. /> | |
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