NCJ Number
129859
Date Published
1990
Length
67 pages
Annotation
This report presents recommendations to medical, legal, law enforcement, advocacy, and forensic science professionals regarding a statewide Texas protocol for the collection and preservation of physical evidence and the minimization of physical and psychological trauma to the survivors of sexual assault.
Abstract
Recommendations address important issues surrounding the collection of medical and physical evidence. The protocol for collecting evidence from adult sexual assault survivors provides general information on sensitivity to survivors' needs and the management of various types of victims. Other topics covered in the adult protocol are the initial law enforcement response, interview and prosecution procedures, treatment plan, reporting, support personnel, survivor/patient consent, equipment, and evidentiary and medical examinations. Separate discussions focus on specific types of evidence collection: clothing evidence, swabs and smears, bitemark evidence, hair evidence, fingernail scraping, whole blood specimen, and a saliva specimen. Other evidence procedures and preservation precautions are also discussed. Another major section details the evidence-collection protocol for child sexual abuse victims. Appended supplementary information