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Sexual assault cases, as a class of cases, are the most
difficult cases to prosecute due to the limited evidence inherent in
sexual assault, the attitudes of the community and the great emotional
needs and demands of victims.
Statistics indicate one out of six women will be raped in a
lifetime. Yet, those charged with compiling these figures agree that
rape statistics are unreliable because many victims will not ever report
the crime. According to F.B.I. calculations, between four in five
victims fail to report the crime of rape. More extensive studies
conducted indicate that one in 10 rapes is reported.
A major purpose for creating the Rape Sexual Assault Prosecutor position
in the Family Protection Unit of the Office of the District Attorney is to alleviate or eliminate the fear
for a "survivor" of rape. In
addition to increasing the number of rapes reported in
Tulare County, through
community awareness and education, the rape prosecutor also aggressively
prosecutes those sexual assault cases that are reported. Although it is
recognized that no one can force a "survivor" of rape to report the
crime, it is also noteworthy that one of the main reasons given for not
reporting the crime was an ignorance about the resources available to
victims.
To ensure that this goal will be accomplished, the Sexual Assault
Response Team has been
developed between the rape prosecutor, Rape Crisis, the law enforcement community,
the medical community which conducts the sexual assault exams, and the
Victim's Program of the
Office of the District Attorney. |
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