The Forensic Nurse

ATTORNEY GENERAL ERIC HOLDER ANNOUNCES REVISIONS TO THE UNIFORM CRIME REPORT’S DEFINITION OF RAPE

Data Reported on Rape Will Better Reflect State Criminal Codes, Victim Experiences

WASHINGTON – Attorney General Eric Holder today announced revisions to the Uniform Crime Report’s (UCR) definition of rape, which will lead to a more comprehensive statistical reporting of rape nationwide. The new definition is more inclusive, better reflects state criminal codes and focuses on the various forms of sexual penetration understood to be rape. The new definition of rape is: “The penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.” The definition is used by the FBI to collect information from local law enforcement agencies about reported rapes.

“Rape is a devastating crime and we can’t solve it unless we know the full extent of it,” said Vice President Biden, a leader in the effort to end violence against women for over 20 years and author of the landmark Violence Against Women Act. “This long-awaited change to the definition of rape is a victory for women and men across the country whose suffering has gone unaccounted for over 80 years.”

“These long overdue updates to the definition of rape will help ensure justice for those whose lives have been devastated by sexual violence and reflect the Department of Justice’s commitment to standing with rape victims,” Attorney General Holder said. “This new, more inclusive definition will provide us with a more accurate understanding of the scope and volume of these crimes.”

“The FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Advisory Policy Board recently recommended the adoption of a revised definition of rape within the Summary Reporting System of the Uniform Crime Reporting Program,” said David Cuthbertson, FBI Assistant Director, CJIS Division. “This definitional change was recently approved by FBI Director Robert S. Mueller. This change will give law enforcement the ability to report more complete rape offense data, as the new definition reflects the vast majority of state rape statutes. As we implement this change, the FBI is confident that the number of victims of this heinous crime will be more accurately reflected in national crime statistics.”

The revised definition includes any gender of victim or perpetrator, and includes instances in which the victim is incapable of giving consent because of temporary or permanent mental or physical incapacity, including due to the influence of drugs or alcohol or because of age. The ability of the victim to give consent must be determined in accordance with state statute. Physical resistance from the victim is not required to demonstrate lack of consent. The new definition does not change federal or state criminal codes or impact charging and prosecution on the local level.

“The revised definition of rape sends an important message to the broad range of rape victims that they are supported and to perpetrators that they will be held accountable,” said Justice Department Director of the Office on Violence Against Women Susan B. Carbon. “We are grateful for the dedicated work of all those involved in making and implementing the changes that reflect more accurately the devastating crime of rape.”

The longstanding, narrow definition of forcible rape, first established in 1927, is “the carnal knowledge of a female, forcibly and against her will.” It thus included only forcible male penile penetration of a female vagina and excluded oral and anal penetration; rape of males; penetration of the vagina and anus with an object or body part other than the penis; rape of females by females; and, non-forcible rape.

Police departments submit data on reported crimes and arrests to the UCR. The UCR data are reported nationally and used to measure and understand crime trends. In addition, the UCR program will also collect data based on the historical definition of rape, enabling law enforcement to track consistent trend data until the statistical differences between the old and new definitions are more fully understood.

The revised definition of rape is within FBI’s UCR Summary Reporting System<http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/frequently-asked-questions/faqs> Program. The new definition is supported by leading law enforcement agencies and advocates and reflects the work of the FBI’s CJIS Advisory Policy Board.

Click here to read a blog post<http://www.justice.gov/> from Director Carbon on the importance of the new definition of rape to our nation’s law enforcement, and for survivors of rape and their advocates. Click here to listen to the FBI’s podcast<http://www.fbi.gov/?came_from=http%3a//www.fbi.gov/news/podcasts/thisweek/rape-definition-changed/view>.

The sex scandal rocking the Penn State University this week is a clear illustration that mandatory reporting is a topic that needs greater education and awareness for both those in and outside of the medical profession.

 In case you are not familiar with the Penn State Sex Scandal story, Jerry Sandusky a former defensive football coach at PSU has been indicted on 40 counts ranging from child endangerment, to deviant sexual acts with a minor.

The crimes occured over a 15 year period and came to light to the univerisity over 12 years ago. Up until late last week, Mr. Sandusky was still allowed on the Penn State campus and had been seen on multiple occasions with children.

 A bold new ad campaign is hitting the airwaves. The US government is launching an ad campaign targeted against sexual violence and explotation of human trafficking.

Atlanta, Georgia is one of the main hubs for human sexual trafficking. Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson airport, the busiest in the entire world, sees many immigrants and international passengers come and go. But some, are here for a very different purpose than most. Often, not of their own choosing.

The new ad campaign sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security airs the ads in Mexico and Central America to warn people about the dangers of illegal passage to the United States.

 The theme titled “No Te Enganes”, or translated meaning “Don’t Be Fooled” tries to educate people about falling into a trap which may end in your loved one being subjected to the world of sexual slavery.  It offers a tipline to report suspicious behavior of suspected human trafficking:  1-888-3737-888.

To Date, the tip line has recieved well over 30,000 phone calls.

 Your government needs your help, and so do countless men, women, and minors who are victims of intimate partner violence.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is asking developers to submit ideas about applications to help prevent or assist victims of dating violence. Nearly 20% of women in college report experiencing sexual assualt while in college.

Judging criteria for submissions
Usefulness
Each entry will be rated for its ability to empower users for the prevention of youth dating violence and sexual assault with real-time direct connections, social media integration, safety/privacy, and access to reputable resources all considered.
Innovativeness
Each entry will be rated for the degree of new thinking and creativity it brings to applications focusing on the prevention of violence and abuse among young adults.
Usability
Each entry will be rated on its user-friendliness and interactive capabilities.
Potential Impact
Each entry will be rated on the strength of its potential to help college students and young adults prevent violence and assault from occurring

Check out challenge.gov for more information. Submit your ideas. Maybe save a life.

HBO documentary films has just released a new 90 minute documentary about the Sex Crimes Unit of  New York City.  The film takes you through the history of the prosecution of sexual assaults, as well as SANE nurse training, and along with a few current trials being worked on.

 It is a must watch for DA’s, SANE nurses, forensics, and even victims of sexual assault in learning how the entire process of justice often works in these types of crimes.

The Relief Fund for Sexual Assault Victims was established in 2005 to collect donations that will aid sexual assault victims and advocacy programs in the United States impacted by disasters. The Fund is designed to:

• Support the needs of sexual assault survivors
• Support the needs of sexual assault advocacy program staff
• Assist with expanded direct service capacity needs
• Assist with prevention initiatives to protect evacuees from sexual violence
• Support relocation/rebuilding efforts for damaged sexual assault advocacy programs

100% of the donations will go to victims in affected areas. Administrative costs are being donated by the NSVRC.

 Checks or money orders may be sent to:
Relief Fund for Sexual Assault Victims
c/o National Sexual Violence Resource Center
123 North Enola Drive
Enola, PA 17025

Visit: http://www.nsvrc.org/relief-fund

In part three of our online training guide for free online education opportunities available, is an online forensics course produced by dna.gov  This course is called “What Every Law Enforcement Officer Should Know About DNA Evidence” .

The website describes the course as:

“self-paced training courses are intended to provide interactive training that covers basic information about the identification, preservation, and collection of DNA evidence at a crime scene. Recommended practices covered may not be applicable to all situations or crime scenes. You should apply local department or agency procedures or applicable laws that govern the use, collection, and processing of DNA evidence.”

 This information is gives a very nice understanding of the process of evidence preservation at a crime scene.
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The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is offering a FREE online basic forensic DNA testing course geared specifically toward law enforcement, court officials and other forensic professionals.

The main goal of this course is to provide students with an understanding of the important role DNA plays in forensic science; introduce the steps involved in forensic DNA testing using the latest methods and technologies; and provide a basic understanding of the National DNA database system.

Funded under NIJ Award Number 2009-DN-BX-K175

Click to Enroll:

https://www.forensic-training-network.com/cgi-bin/DJlinks.cgi?T=st-enroll.html&LANG=EN&ID=00019

The NIJ is offeringThe goal of this training is provide a basic understanding of fingerprints and their role in forensic science. After completing this training, you will have gained a basic understanding of the anatomy and development of friction ridge skin. You will understand why fingerprints are permanent and unique. You will be able to recognize various levels and types of details used for fingerprint classification and comparison. You will understand why and how fingerprints are used in criminal investigations. You will have gained a basic understanding of biometric fingerprint recognition and the method used to manually compare fingerprints and draw conclusions. Finally, you will be aware of existing quality assurance guidelines and related resources.

Funded under NIJ Award Number 2009-DN-BX-K175

The law named after 17-year-old Chelsea King, increases penalties for those who commit forcible sexual acts against minors in the state of California becomes law today . Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s signed the bill after it unanimously passed the Senate and Assembly in a rare display of bipartisanship of the california legistlature. Officially named AB 1844,  The bill has an urgency clause meaning that it will take effect immediately after being signed.  

The bill creates a new penalty of life without the possibility of parole for commiting forcible sex crimes against minors that include certain aggravating factors, such as the age of the victim or whether the victim was restrained or drugged.

The law also sets out to more clearly define criteria that assess the risk for recidivism, or the likelyhood of commiting a similar crime again, and then placing those with greater risk under more careful supervision.

The law was spawned by the parents of the murdered children after a previous registered sex offender John Gardner III admitted to killing her in March of this year. Within days of finding the chelsea’s body, the body of Amber Dubois was found, who had been missing for over a year. Gardner was sentenced to three consecutive terms of life without parole for the murders and an attack on a jogger.

Gardner was previously paroled on September 26, 2005 after serving 5 years for two counts of lewd and lascivious acts on a child younger than 14 and a single count of false imprisonment for attacking a 13-year-old neighbor. Under the new Chelsea’s Law the lewd and lascivious acts on a minor will carry a mandatory sentence of life without parole. The “one strike” provision (in reference to California’s 3 strike law) raises the bar on these types of sexual crimes.

 Read Full details of AB 1844 (Chelsea’s Law):

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/09-10/bill/asm/ab_1801-1850/ab_1844_bill_20100831_enrolled.pdf �