PUBLISHER'S NOTE: As previously noted on this Blog, Cressida Dick, Scotland Yard's new Commissioner, (appointed about a year ago), has changed her force's policy from always believing the 'victims' from the outset because they are inherently being truthful, to one of investigating sexual assault claims thoroughly and impartially. Commissioner Dick was careful to insist that officers keep an open mind, treat complainants with respect and dignity, listen to them and record what they say. But she stressed that "From that moment on, we are investigators." There is of course the crucial question as to what constitutes an investigation. One of the suggestions made by the report of the committee which reviewed 78 old sexual assault cases that were recorded as unfounded by Waterloo regional police, is "training officers in trauma-informed investigation techniques." A word of caution to the Waterloo regional police: Read my previous post (July 7. 2018) on Forensic Experiential Trauma Interview (FETI), which appeared under the heading, "FETI: (Forensic Experiential Trauma interview) At last, an objective assessment of this still unproven technique for interviewing sex crime complainants. Bravo to author Wendy McElroy and The Independent Institute."...I opened up with the following Publisher's Note: "It is so refreshing to see such an honest, evidence-based critique of FETI (Forensic Experiential Trauma interview) as this one - as most stories on the latest policing flavor of the month (FETI) fail to point out that there is not yet a scientific consensus that this method of interviewing sex crime complainants (under 'FETI' they are called victims) has a solid neurological basis. (Most stories also fail to point out the potential dangers of using the much touted FETI technique - such as the unintended planting of false facts in the mind of the person being interviewed.) Bravo to author Wendy McElroy." I then continued with the following Passage of the day. "The manual offers advice on how to engage a traumatized person’s primitive brain. The interviewer assures the interviewee that she is believed, for example, and he does not “dive into crime details, unless victim wants to do so.” When she describes the crime, he is to realize that inconsistencies are normal, not a sign of lying. Moreover, when an account is disjointed, the interviewer translates “it into a report that makes sense.” Traditionally, an investigator’s job is to get a straight-forward narrative that determines whether criminal charges are appropriate. He does not fill in the blanks. FETI refers to an accuser as “the victim,” which damages a basic principle of justice known as the presumption of innocence for an accused. The presumption now shifts to the “victim,” who is automatically assumed to be telling the truth. The burden of proof shifts to the accused. Before radically changing police standards and basic principles of justice, a question must be asked. Does FETI even work? FETI advocates point to its widespread use in the military as proof of legitimacy. But the U.S. Air Force explicitly rejected FETI, stating, “Given the lack of empirical evidence on FETI’s effectiveness, and the large number of investigative, professional and scientific concerns regarding FETI and FETI training, the Air Force does not consider FETI as a viable option for investigative interviewing. We believe it would be inappropriate and irresponsible to discontinue the use of a robust, well-studied, effective, and empirically-validated interviewing method…in favor of an interviewing method that is loosely-constructed, is based on flawed science, makes unfounded claims about its effectiveness, and has never once been tested, studied, researched or validated.” So I am hoping that this post will somehow be drawn to the attention of the Waterloo Regional force and the Board that runs it - before they put in place an unproven, possibly dangerous technique for investigating alleged sex crimes.
The previous post can be found at the link below:
http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2018/07/feti-forensic-experiential-trauma.html
Harold Levy: Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog;
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PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "The group looked at 78 unfounded cases from 2015 and 2016 that involved a victim over the age of 16 and a suspect over the age of 18. Of those, the committee agreed with the final decision reached in 47 cases, but did not agree with the decision reached in 20 cases. Committee members also felt that in 11 cases the investigation was either incomplete or inadequate, not allowing them to reach a conclusion. "There was evidence, in some cases, of gender bias," Casselman told CBC News. "There was evidence that officers had not been trained or weren't using trauma-informed investigations."
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STORY: "Task force releases final report on 'unfounded' sexual assault cases," published by CBC News on July 11, 2018.
SUB-HEADING: "Review committee disagrees with 'inappropriate techniques' used in at least 26 per cent of cases."
SUB-HEADING: "Review committee disagrees with 'inappropriate techniques' used in at least 26 per cent of cases."
PHOTO CAPTION: "The task force has been reviewing 78 old sexual assault cases that were recorded as unfounded by Waterloo regional police."
GIST: "A
committee that has been combing through old sexual assault cases
recorded as unfounded by Waterloo Regional Police says it disagrees with
the final decision made in at least 26 per cent of the cases that were
reviewed. The Sexual Assault Task Force began its work in 2017,
after a Globe and Mail report revealed that the number of sexual
assault cases recorded as unfounded in Waterloo region was 27 percent,
higher than the national average of 19 per cent. "That
statistic was staggering," said Sara Casselman, executive director of
the Sexual Assault Centre of Waterloo Region and co-chair of the review
committee, "and created a lot of media attention and public attention to
that issue." 78 cases reviewed: The group looked at 78
unfounded cases from 2015 and 2016 that involved a victim over the age
of 16 and a suspect over the age of 18. Of those, the committee
agreed with the final decision reached in 47 cases, but did not agree
with the decision reached in 20 cases. Committee members also felt that
in 11 cases the investigation was either incomplete or inadequate, not
allowing them to reach a conclusion. "There was evidence, in some
cases, of gender
bias," Casselman told CBC News. "There was evidence that officers had
not been trained or weren't using trauma-informed investigations." And
although it wasn't in the group's mandate to re-open old files, she
said the group had serious concerns about two cases and did send them
back to police. 11 recommendations: In their report, the review
committee made 11 recommendations to improve future sexual assault
investigations.
Suggestions included:
The entire story can be read at:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/task-force-releases-final-report-on-unfounded-sexual-assault-cases-1.4741066
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue. Keep your eye on the
Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my
previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put
considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith
and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic
pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses
on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/Suggestions included:
- Training on how to ensure rape myths and gender bias are not part of sexual assault investigations.
- Procedures that ensure victims are able to speak with an officer of the gender of their choosing.
- Training officers in trauma-informed investigation techniques.
The entire story can be read at:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/task-force-releases-final-report-on-unfounded-sexual-assault-cases-1.4741066
