Predicting Prosecutorial Outcomes in the Sexual Assault Kit Task Force in Cleveland, Ohio

• In Event: Unsubmitted Sexual Assault Kits: Research Informing Practice

Abstract

The approach in Cleveland, Ohio to the issue of back-logged sexual assault kits (SAKs) has been to assemble a Task Force comprised of multiple facets of the criminal justice system, including law enforcement, prosecution, and victim advocacy. The Task Force has worked to investigate and prosecute sexual assault cases that are, in many instances, decades old. Using a cooperative approach, the Task Force has successfully prosecuted 192 cases to date. Two coders systematically coded investigative reports from the initial police investigation and the task force investigation on all cases that have gone to disposition. Using these archival data, we examined the impact of victim cooperation, both during the initial investigation and during the Task Force investigation on prosecutorial outcomes. Past research has shown that victim cooperation is a key factor in the prosecution of sexual assault cases. We discuss the policy implications of the cooperative specifically as it pertains to the cooperative approach of the task force in Cleveland, Ohio.

Authors

• Rachel Lovell, Case Western Reserve University

• Fredrick Butcher, Case Western Reserve University

• Daniel Flannery, Case Western Reserve University