CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Department of Justice has a new resource for prosecutors to use that aims for better outcomes for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence and more accountability for perpetrators.
The “Framework for Prosecutors to Strengthen Our National Response to Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Involving Adult Victims” was announced last week at the Conference on Crimes Against Women. Rosemarie Hidalgo, Director of the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), said the guide is written by prosecutors for prosecutors.
“The framework announced reaffirms our commitment to expanding access to justice for all survivors, who deserve respect and the right to be heard,” Hidalgo said. “Enhancing the prosecution response to sexual assault and domestic violence in a trauma-informed manner is a key piece in ending gender-based violence, as part of a broader coordinated community response that includes services and support for survivors, and can have a real, immediate impact on the safety of survivors and entire communities.”
The guide helps prosecutors build provable cases by: (1) relying on the evidentiary value of the victim’s account to frame the investigation; (2) meeting with victims and working with investigators and victim specialists to do so; (3) using the law and evidentiary rules effectively; (4) being thoughtful about what justice and accountability look like; and (5) sustaining a productive, healthy, and committed workforce by redefining success– all of which are rooted in a prosecutor’s primary obligation to seek the truth and uphold the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law.
U.S. Attorney Will Thompson commended the announcement.
“This guide is a welcome resource for prosecutors at all levels of government, and goes to the heart of our primary obligation to the Constitution, to the rule of law, and to see that justice is done,” Thompson said. “In clear language informed by decades of expertise, insight and experience, it offers a blueprint for a stronger, consistent, and more effective response to these crimes.”
More than 120 different prosecutors across the country played a part in development of the guide. OVW launched a new webpage with resources that are designed to assist prosecutors in implementing the guide and its principles. The guide also complements the Justice Department’s 2022 updated guidance on Improving Law Enforcement Response to Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence by Identifying and Preventing Gender Bias.
“As the state sexual assault coalition, the West Virginia Foundation for Rape Information and Services (WVFRIS) applauds the efforts of the U.S. Department of Justice to assist prosecutors in holding offenders accountable in cases of sexual assault and domestic violence,” said WVFRIS Executive Director Nancy Hoffman. “Strengthening prosecution efforts will be the final step in providing justice for the victims each case represents.”