ABSTRACT
The Two Crime Scenes In any investigation into sexual assault, investigators must recognize that two distinct crime scenes have to be processed. The first is the location of occurrence, a location that must be secured and processed in a professional manner similar to that of a homicide. The second location is that of the victim herself. She will frequently retain critical forensic evidence on her body, within her body, or on her clothing. Trained personnel must process the first location in the same painstaking and meticulous manner as they would any serious crime scene. The second, however, requires more finesse, more specialization, and additional training. It entails a cooperative effort that utilizes a team approach consisting of medical personnel, counselors, and sex crime investigators. This combined effort is designed to take into account the needs of the victim while collecting the vital evidence needed for prosecution before it is destroyed. If we fail to take care of the victim’s needs (both emotionally and physically), we will not succeed in securing her cooperation for collecting evidence, nor are we likely to gain her cooperation in the future.
