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Sexual assault and rape are pervasive across all nations and cultures. This gender-based crime is considered one of the most heinous crimes in Bangladesh. A first information report (FIR) and subsequent investigation by police officers are the first steps in the criminal justice response to rape. Unfortunately, it is frequently difficult for law enforcement officials to conduct an investigation and guarantee justice for the victims. Delays and improper investigations dampen the enthusiasm of rape victims seeking justice. This paper explores the issues and challenges the police officers confront when investigating rape cases. A qualitative research approach has been applied to this study, where a total of 15 police officers participated in in-depth interviews. This paper reveals that problems with existing legal instruments, crime scene management, and evidence collection processes are apparent in rape case investigations. Furthermore, challenges pertaining to medical and forensic examinations, insufficient logistical support, an excessive number of responsibilities, and various internal and external pressures have a detrimental impact on the efficacy of police investigations. Victim and witness non-cooperation, delays in filing cases, practices of filing false rape cases, informal mediation, and out-of-court settlements all reduce the success rate of police investigations and result in low conviction rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Research into the circumstances of rape, and criminal justice system responses, is pivotal to informing prevention and improving the likelihood of justice for victims. In this paper, we explore the differences in the circumstances of multiple-perpetrator rapes (MPRs) and single-perpetrator rapes (SPRs), their case management, and attrition, and describe areas for improvemensuplt around rape response within the South African criminal justice system. Methods: The sample comprised 3952 rape cases reported to the South African Police Services (SAPS) in 2012, selected through a multi-stage random sampling of 172 police stations from a total of 1164 police stations in the nine provinces, followed by the random selection of cases from each station's case list. Data were abstracted from police dockets, medico-legal examination forms, charge sheets, and trial transcripts. MPRs were defined as cases in which more than one perpetrator had sexual contact with the victim during a single incident, i.e., sexually assaulted or raped. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests for associations were used to compare MPRs and SPRs in circumstances of the rape, case management, and attrition. Results: Seventeen percent of cases were MPRs. MPRs were comparably more violent crimes with a higher frequency of aggressive tactics employed by perpetrators, for example, abductions, firearms use, and threats to kill. Overall, cases were often poorly handled by police, and there were deviations from standard policing and investigation procedures; we found more evidence of this with MPRs compared to SPRs. MPR cases were most likely to have been closed by police due to undetected perpetrators in combination with other victim reasons. The weaker investigations of MPRs were associated with higher attrition rates compared to SPRs, firstly at the police investigation and subsequent stages. Conclusions: The findings confirm differences in case management, patterns of attrition and trajectories of MPRs compared to SPRs. In an overall context of high rape case attrition and impunity for perpetrators, MPR victims are even less likely to see justice served than SPR victims. There needs to be much more effective supervision of rape case investigations by SAPS, particularly in MPR cases. Continual investigator training strengthened supervision and better resourcing are necessary to improve MPRs detection and convictions in adherence to the Directives for rape policing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While there has been an upsurge of research about human services for male victims of rape, methodological advances are still limited, and significant knowledge gaps remain. Until now, empirical studies have focused almost entirely on human service professionals' gendered attitudes to try to explain outcomes and victims' experiences of support. In this article, I argue that research approaches that are based on professionals' attitudes fail to account for important contextual conditions in policing, healthcare and other human services. My overall aim is thus to introduce greater concern about contextual conditions in human services and provide ways for scholars to approach support for raped men so that different practices, as well as their effects, become visible. To demonstrate the contributions of a practice-based approach to research about support for raped men, an empirical case from a study on police investigation into rape will be analysed and discussed. By using a practice-based approach, it is possible to explore relations between practices performed by organisations, professionals and victims, and highlight the outcomes of such relations. In this way, a practice-based approach can help research progress and contribute to improved services for male rape victims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual assault on females may ruin the entire life of the victim. Victims of such incidents rarely get support from any quarters of society, including their family members. On the other hand, men can be made the victim of such heinous crimes by false accusations by women for various motives. As most of the judgments on sexual assault cases are based on circumstantial history, and oral evidence, it may be very hard to disprove the allegation. According to the figures from National Crime Records Bureau's (NCRB) crime in India report 2020, less than 8% of all cases under investigation for rape were found to be false. In 2014, the Delhi commission for women submitted a report stating that, 53.2% of rape cases registered between April 2013-July 2014 was false. In India, the threat of false rape cases on one pretext or the other is increasing since the new amendment to the rape law in 2013. This fact is evident from the study of court judgments and media reports. In most false sexual assault cases, the victim took advantage of a fabricated injury to strengthen the case. There are various motives behind fabricating injury to register false sexual assault cases some of which are, to bring a charge of rape, heartbreak, anger, or some other mala fide motive induces a woman to file a false rape case majority, some women just do it to seek the attention of the media and have publicity, to defame others, to gain a large sum of money by a false allegation and to obtain compensation from the Government, In most cases, it is also found that to cover up first sexual intercourse women falsely accuse their partner of sexual assault. Various studies of disguised injuries in assault incidents showed that, the limbs, neck, and chest are the most favoured sites for disguised injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the psychological effects of sexual harassment in the universities with indifference standard on college campuses. Topics include stories of student-on-student sexual assault has been a significant problem on college and university campuses; and denial of equal access to education and institution's deliberate indifference during a rape investigation.

Rape myth among college students have been around for decades in Thailand. Although it has both academic and non-academic purposes, only a few studies have been investigated at the tertiary level. The purposes of this study are to investigate Rape Myth among colleges students and guidelines for preventing and solving rape problem in the university. This study was using a mix-method research. Quantitative sample included 400 colleges students in Bangkok and qualitative sample included 20 representatives of college administrator, instructor, college staff and college student. A set of questionnaires and focus group in-depth interview were used. The research was divided into 8 aspects including general ideas, rape cause, relevant factors, wife or lover rape, risk management, action plan, communication and remedy. The study findings revealed that average rape myth among college students was high, being a female caused rape at any time, any place and at any age, there was nothing to guarantee that acquaintances or intimates would not exploit and rape, no restraint was the major rape cause, process of judgement towards rape crime should be improved and effective, and rape myth would be reduced by good instruction or guidance since childhood. Therefore, the social communication about rape should be designed and improved appropriately. This study reflex rape myth among college students to be changed into human right and gender equality and analysis cause and effect of rape based on current belief in the society. This research suggests for preventing and solving rape problem was to educate college students to respect civil right and sexuality in order to eliminate the obsession with rape myth. The policy suggestion was for education institutes to have a main agency to handle complaints, provide consultation, assistance and remedy for the victims directly. Education institutes should provide courses of moral and ethics, respect for human and dignity and gender equality leading to solve rape myth problem in the university. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past nine years, the Haitian Tèt Kale Party (PHTK) regimes - first under Martelly then under his heir President Jovenel Moïse - have exercised what Latin American feminists call state violence, which comes to bear on society in general. The Toxic Masculinity of the "Legal Bandit": Under a sexist right-wing regime, violence in Haiti seeps into all aspects of daily life. The ultra-right PHTK regime, which concentrates power in the president, has attacked women's rights and deployed insults and hateful words to neutralize women's political power. When women's and human rights organizations demanded that he be stripped of his position as a state dignitary, the regime re-assigned him overseas. [Extracted from the article]

Rape kits are important tools used to store the evidence that is collected from a victim's body and clothing following a sexual assault. Although the DNA evidence stored in rape kits is crucial to rape investigations, police departments throughout the country have routinely failed to test rape kits. This remains true despite the national funding allocated specifically for rape kit testing. This widespread neglect hinders justice and renders community members unprotected from sexual violence. The national rape kit backlog has sparked legal challenges; six lawsuits have been filed against police departments for systematically refusing to test rape kits, alleging equal protection violations based on gender under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. This Note discusses the two lawsuits that have reached the circuit court level. These two suits illustrate the difficulty in establishing discriminatory intent--a necessary component of an equal protection claim. Ultimately, this Note argues that courts should recognize police refusal to test rape kits as a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and should not require plaintiffs to plead a specific comparator to establish discriminatory intent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Nigeria Violence against Persons (Prohibition) Act prohibits all forms of violence against persons while providing maximum protection and remedies for victims and punishment of offenders. Sections 1, 2, 3 and 4 provides for the offence of rape, defines the offence and punishment for offenders. Interesting as the provisions and severe as the punishment may be, successful investigation and prosecution of rapists are predicated upon standard forensic investigative procedures. However, available statistics reveal discrepancies between the cases reported and the number of convictions. Hence, the contention of this paper that the discrepancies is either that these forensic investigative procedures are hitherto neglected or little attention has been paid to them during investigation of rape cases thereby resulting in loss of cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The Prosecution Service found a forensic exam of the victim important for the legal process in 49% of cases of sexual assault. • A forensic examination of the perpetrator is associated with laying of charges and a guilty verdict. • The prosecution was more often aided by the forensic exam in cases of 'conflicting explanations', uncooperative victim or perpetrator denial. • The prosecution services' use of a forensic exam of victim and perpetrator has been more frequent in recent years. Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the forensic clinical examination in the judicial assessment made by the Prosecution Service in cases of rape. Methods All cases of police-reported sexual assault in the county of Funen, Denmark in a six-year period were reviewed, and the retrospective data was collected. Cases in which a forensic clinical examination was performed were included. Results The Prosecution Service in the county of Funen received 348 police-reported rape cases and of these 184 cases were included. The Prosecution Service stated that the forensic clinical examination (FCE) was important for the decision-making process in approximately half of the cases. The Prosecution Service finding an FCE important due to the presence of relevant findings was significantly associated with the case going to trial, whereas importance due to absence of relevant findings was significantly associated with the cases not going to trial. The only single factor associated with a case going to court and a guilty verdict was an FCE of the alleged perpetrator. There were no crude associations between any other factors i.e. the type of assault, victim injuries or alcohol consumption. In a logistic regression model, however, it was significantly more likely (p < 0.05) that a forensic clinical examination of the victim was used in the Prosecution Service's decision if there were both anogenital and extra-genital injuries documented, that could originate from the alleged crime. The odds were 7.83 times higher compared to if no injuries were detected. The Prosecution Service's use of the clinical examination in their argumentation of the decision of a rape complaint has been significantly increasing from 2003 to 2015. Conclusion The results of the first in-depth analysis of the overall importance of a forensic clinical examination in cases of rape and sexual assault shows that we need to continuously focus on the documentation of sexual assault, as documentation is part of the decision-making process at all stages of the judicial process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on sexual violence and allied relations in Great Britain during the Second World War, focusing on the Leroy Henry case, where a black American soldier was found guilty of rape of a white British woman and condemned to death by hanging. Topic discussed include the eventual acquittal of Henry after international pressure and sexual stereotypes concerning African American men.

This article evaluates the servant rape in Daniel Defoe's Roxana (1724) against conduct literature on the "servant problem," and particularly against Defoe's multiple tracts on servants and supposedly promiscuous female domestic labourers. Like contemporary conduct writing, Roxana's rape narrative expresses intersecting social anxieties among employer classes over commerce infiltrating the domestic sphere and uncertainty related to contracted servants' virtue and obedience. Roxana specifically reflects conduct writers' association of female servants' disloyalty with sexual promiscuity. Yet, unlike Defoe's conduct literature, which avoids discussing servant rape, Roxana reflects the normalization of rape of female domestics. I argue that the novel's representation of rape deflects blame from male authority within the private sphere onto a female accomplice engaged in sexual labour beyond the bounds of the middle-class household. The narrative thus draws on the common occurrence of the rape of female servants but, at the same time, removes culpability from a readership whom Defoe protects as an ideologically moral employer class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

False sexual assault and rape claims result in wasted forensic and police resources and stigma for the alleged offender. In this work a laboratory method was developed to (i) recreate the ripping of knickers and (ii) measure the force required to rip the garments. The effect of laundering was considered as a means to mimic age of garment, and the effect of speed of ripping was used as a measure of forcible removal of garments. Whilst laundering resulted in visual damage to the thongs, it did not affect the mechanical properties. Faster test speeds resulted in higher measured forces and increased levels of damage. This may allow comment to be made regarding the level of force used during an attack. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One routine “common sense” means of explaining sexual violence is the ideologically facilitated tendency to blame the victim, and previous research has identified patterns of victim-blaming in the talk of perpetrators of rape, and also in that of the professionals who deal with rape in their day-to-day work. This article focuses on the discursive resources drawn on in police interviews by rape victims themselves as they attempt to account for their own behaviour in relation to the attack. It identifies and describes points within interviewees’ talk where they produce “accounts” ( Potter and Wetherell, 1987 ), and considers what these tell us about the participants’ shared understanding of what is relevant to the on-going talk. Occasions when there is evidence of a mis-match in the understanding of the participants will also be discussed. The analyses illustrate that for the accounts of interviewees to be heard as relevant, a number of prevalent and problematic themes of victim-blaming must be assumed. Interviewees anticipate and pre-empt implications that various aspects of their own behaviour contributed to their attack, and interviewers vary in the level of skill they display at negotiating these shared understandings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the lens of medium theory, this content analysis explored the framing of the Steubenville rape case in newspapers and blogs before, during and immediately following the trial. Our findings indicate newspapers focused on social media's role in documenting the rape and the trial of the two assailants. Blog posts, on the other hand, focused on rape victims' rights and social media's role in bringing the case to justice. Of the 78 newspaper articles and blog posts coded, medium type did not make a significant difference in the framing of perpetrators and the actual act of rape. However, there was a significant difference in how the media types framed the case in general. This is a noteworthy finding, as it appears that newspapers were colorblind in their coverage and not as prone to use race frames as indicated in previous studies. Conversely, blog posts offered a platform for discussing issues that were omitted in mainstream media such as women's rights, rape myths and the need for rape awareness/prevention programs for parents and youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are many common misconceptions about sexual violence and the way that victims "should" behave during and after the offending. In trials for sexual offending these "rape myths" can impact on jurors' assessments of a complainant's credibility, rendering a guilty verdict less likely. This article discusses how the use of counter-intuitive expert opinion evidence as a method of juror education in trials for sexual offending can address these prejudices to improve the operation of the criminal justice process. The article also identifies the limitations of such evidence in particular cases of acquaintance rape, and foreshadows whether such evidence will continue to be offered in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the Article 32 investigation of an alleged rape of a U.S. Naval Academy female midshipman by several members of the Annapolis football team. Topics highlighted include the case investigation turning into a mini trial with wide media coverage, the Article 32 being part of the original draft of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) enacted by U.S. Congress in 1950 and Senator Claire McCaskill's Victims Protection Act of 2014.

Background: Sexual assault (SA) is a shattering malevolence against women. This study determined the burden, periodicity, presentation and management of SA in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: Retrospective analysis of the hospital records of 76 SA survivors managed over a 5-year period (2007-2011) in Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals complex (OAUTHC), Ile-Ife. Results: Sexual assault accounted for 0.69% of all female and 5.2% of all gynaecological emergencies in OAUTHC, Ile-Ife. The survivors' ages ranged from 4 to 50 years (mean = 17.7 ± 8.8years) and adolescents made up for 48%. The peak prevalence of SA was in February and December and among adults and under-16-year-old survivors, respectively. Daytime and weekday SA were significantly more common among the under-16-year-old survivors (P = 0.008). Majority of the survivors (62%) knew their assailant(s). Neighbours were the commonest perpetrators identified (28.2%) and the assailants' house was the commonest location (39.4%). Weapons were involved in 29.6% of cases and various injuries were identified in 28.2% of the survivors. Hospital presentation was within 24 hours in majority (76.1%) of the survivors, but rape kit examinations were not performed as the kits were not available. Although appropriate medical management was routinely commenced, only 12.7% of survivors returned for follow-up. Conclusions: Seasonal and diurnal patterns exist in the prevalence of SA in Ile-Ife and most survivors that reported in the hospital presented early. Rape kit examinations were, however, not executed, due to non-availability. Personnel training, protocol development, provision of rape kits and free treatment of SA survivors are, therefore, recommended. Public enlightenment on preventive strategies based on the observed periodicity and age patterns is also suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An ultra-performance liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC–TOF-MS) method for simultaneous screening of 46 medicinal drugs and drugs of abuse in whole blood was developed and validated. The method includes most of the commonly used and abused drugs such as amphetamines, cocaine, benzodiazepines, and opioids. Chromatographic separation of the targeted drugs was achieved using a Waters ACQUITY UPLC coupled to a Waters Micromass LCT Premier XE time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The total chromatographic run time was 13.5min injection to injection. The estimated method LOQ is in the range of 0.06–27ng/g, which is below the therapeutic levels for each of the drugs analyzed but LSD. The extraction recovery ranged from 6% to 197% with median value 95% and mean value 82%. Matrix effect ranged from 81% suppression to 29% enhancement of the signals compared to signals obtained in the absence of biological matrix. The method was tested on 55 authentic forensic toxicology samples confirming the same positive results as found using the routine analytical procedures as well as some additional compounds. Recently there has been considerable attention paid to drug-facilitated sexual assault and the toxicological findings in these cases. As part of a pilot study to investigate the prevalence of medicinal drugs, drugs of abuse, and alcohol in victims of alleged sexual assault, biological specimens were obtained from 167 victims being examined at the Sexual Assault Center in Aarhus, Denmark. The obtained blood samples were analyzed using the novel screening method supported by additional analyses for e.g. THC and alcohol. 124 victims reported they have been drinking alcohol prior to the assault (74%). Alcohol analyses revealed 59 positive findings (48%). 35 of the cases were found positive for one or more drugs excluding alcohol (21%). 20 of the victims reported they have been subject to a drug-facilitated sexual assault (12%). For the victims suspecting drug-facilitated sexual assault, the toxicological analyses revealed four positive for alcohol and nine victims were positive for one or more drugs, with six of the victims found positive for benzodiazepines or other drugs with sedative effects. It was notable that victims tested positive for medicinal drugs and drugs of abuse as well as victims of alleged drug-facilitated sexual assault in average underwent medical examination later than the whole study population. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Expanding the number of individuals with DNA "profiles" stored in nationwide criminal databanks appears to be a promising criminal justice reform, particularly for resolving crimes of sexual violence. Bills like the Violence Against Women Act provide for DNA databank expansion, and many anti-rape organizations support this development. Yet, as millions of dollars are allocated for these purposes, thousands of rape kits-DNA evidence submitted by rape survivors-remain untested. DNA databanks have serious, harmful consequences for individual privacy and dignity, and they distract attention and resources from the larger social forces that engender sexual violence. Instead, the author advocates for community-based alternatives that are survivor-centered and focused on humanizing and healing all parties involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: The purpose of this study was to make a normative description of the nature and duration of genital lesions sustained during consensual sexual intercourse, using the three most commonly used techniques; visualisation using the naked eye, colposcopy and toluidine blue dye followed by colposcopy. Methods: Ninety eight women were examined within 48h of consensual sexual intercourse. Fifty of the women were examined twice again within the following 7 days of sexual abstinence after the first examination. Results: The participants had a median age of 22.4 years and 88% were nulliparous. Lesions were frequent; 34% seen with the naked eye, 49% seen with colposcopy and 52% seen with toluidine blue dye and subsequent colposcopy. The lesions lasted for several days; the median survival times for lacerations were 24, 40 and 80h, respectively. Conclusions: The legal implications of these findings are that genital lesions by themselves do not corroborate a rape complaint. Genital lesions may, however, corroborate specific details of a case and should be documented as carefully as any other lesion in rape complaints. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article focuses on the laws related to sexual assaults by military personnel. It states that politician Jackie Speier has introduced the Sexual Assault Training Oversight and Prevention Act and if this bill is passed then police can investigate rape cases associated with military people. It discusses the Cioca v. Rumsfeld court case wherein a girl was raped and sexually assaulted by two military officers and the police was unable to investigate properly because of military interventions.

Sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) programs can be a vital resource to victims and the legal community. This study examined how police may use SANE services during the investigation phase and how this involvement may affect whether a case is forwarded by police to prosecutors. Police reports (N = 343) of adult sexual assault cases in three midwestern law enforcement agencies were content-analyzed to capture the nature of SANE involvement in the investigation, the specific investigatory steps taken in each case, and the referral outcome. When the victim had a medical forensic exam, police collected more kinds of other evidence to support the case, which was associated with increased likelihood of case referral for prosecution. When SANEs conducted a suspect exam (i.e., a forensic examination of the suspect’s body), police were more likely to collect other kinds of evidence and more likely to interview the suspect, both of which were associated with increased likelihood of case referral. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rape, commonly used as a weapon of war, was long seen as an inevitable by-product of battle. Recent research finds that war itself is gendered and that the implications and consequences of violence in battle differ for women and men. Against this backdrop, this article explores the issue of wartime rape during Bangladesh's liberation movement against Pakistan in 1971. It examines the discourse surrounding the women who were raped in wartime and, after independence, awarded the title of "birangona" or "war heroine." It explores the representation of the birangona in the postwar Bangladeshi media, the media's role in challenging or reinforcing the discourse, and the implications of these for war heroines who lacked agency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic profiling of sperm from complex biological mixtures such as sexual assault casework samples requires isolation of a pure sperm population and the ability to analyze low abundant samples. Current standard procedure for sperm isolation includes preferential lysis of epithelial contaminants followed by collection of intact sperm by centrifugation. While effective for samples where sperm are abundant, this method is less effective when samples contain few spermatozoa. Laser capture microdissection (LCM) is a proven method for the isolation of cells biological mixtures, even when found in low abundance. Here, we demonstrate the efficacy of LCM coupled with on-chip low volume PCR (LV-PCR) for the isolation and genotyping of low abundance sperm samples. Our results indicate that this method can obtain complete profiles (13-16 loci) from as few as 15 sperm cells with 80% reproducibility, whereas at least 40 sperm cells are required to profile 13-16 loci by standard 'in-tube' PCR. Further, LCM and LV-PCR of a sexual assault casework sample generated a DNA genotype that was consistent with that of the suspect. This method was unable, however, to analyze a casework sample from a gang rape case in which two or more sperm contributors were in a mixed population. The results indicate that LCM and LV-PCR is sensitive and effective for genotyping sperm from sperm/epithelial cell mixtures when epithelial lysis may be insufficient due to low abundance of sperm; LCM and LV-PCR, however, failed in a casework sample when spermatozoa from multiple donors was present, indicating that further study is necessitated [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In France and England & Wales rape is now understood as a diverse social phenomenon. It is reported, counted, categorized, and dealt with by the authorities as a serious crime. Yet, despite notable initiatives intended to improve the conviction of alleged perpetrators, major hurdles for alleged victims remain. We show how rape is defined and prosecuted in France and England & Wales, and we use statistical analyzes to understand the scale of the problem, still largely unknown. We also discuss recent controversies (attrition rate;loicadre), exploring a culture of scepticism among police and judiciary that causes complaints to be dropped or downgraded to lesser crimes. Our interview material from France explores two difficulties: When is rape not rape? Did the alleged victim consent to the penetration? Finally we analyze the paradoxical role played by voluntary victim support groups that resist but also collude with a complex regulatory system that fails those who do not speak in legitimate codes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article studies rape in 19th century Spain from the perspective of medical forensics and sexual morality at the time. It finds that medical forensics upheld and furthered 19th century attitudes towards women and sexual violence in that it was concerned with rape primarily in order to uncover its incidence in cases of fraud, determine the possible consent of the woman, reveal cases of false statutory rape, and confirm virginity. The findings of the article are based on analysis of the primary medical forensics texts written in Spain at the time.

The article discusses the rape case faced by some boys in Scottsboro, Alabama. It states that nine African-American male youth were accused of raping two white women. The court has decided to give death sentences to eight of the suspect, but was reduced to five to twenty years imprisonment. It also mentions that the opinion of the national public about the case has endorsed the intervention of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Copyright of Canadian Woman Studies is the property of Canadian Woman Studies/Les Cahiers de la Femme and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Woman Studies is the property of Canadian Woman Studies/Les Cahiers de la Femme and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Woman Studies is the property of Canadian Woman Studies/Les Cahiers de la Femme and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article discusses a study on the experiences of rape survivors in reporting rapes to Western Cape police. It says that 16 survivors were recruited using convenience sampling and were subjected to qualitative interviews. It tells that a thematic analysis was conducted which involves open coding wherein data theme labels were derived. Results revealed experiences including police inconsiderateness, police's failure to respond to concerns, and misinformation which imply poor police service.

The article focuses on false rape allegations and the determination of false allegations. The police identifies a certain percentage of rape complaints as unfounded and such complaints are excluded from the statistics of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation. The term 'unfounded' is not a uniform classification and there is no formalized and accepted definition of false rape allegations. It is stated that several factors provide difficulty in determining the percentage of intentionally false rape reports. These factors include jurisdictional variation in definition, criteria and reporting practices. Charles P. McDowell, a researcher in the U.S. Air Force Special Studies Division, has provided several indicators for determining and identifying false rape allegations.

Despite the increased research attention given to rape and violence against women, little is known about rape co-occurrence, or rape incidents that involve another crime. Although previous research has found certain incident characteristics increase the likelihood that a victim reports her rape to police and that the offender is arrested and prosecuted, the relationship between co-occurrence and these responses is unknown. Given this gap in the literature, the main goal of the present research is to provide an initial understanding of rape co-occurrence and its effect on victim reporting and police clearance. To explore these issues, this study uses two national data sources that collect the requisite incident-level information: the National Crime Victimization Survey and the Uniform Crime Reporting Program’s National Incident-Based Reporting System. Few rapes are found to co-occur with other crimes. When rapes do occur with other crimes, though, they are more likely than solo-occurring rapes to involve weapons, strangers, additional injury to the victim, and multiple offenders. Rapes that co-occur also are more likely to be reported to police and cleared by police than rapes that occur with no other crimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an essay on the issue concerning sex scandals involving military officers in the U.S. It is stated that the military's reaction to sexual scandals has been a repeated source of military morale problems. It is also stated that a characteristic response to sexual issues by military overseers has been to label men as sexual predators who require punishment and to label women as victims who require counseling. It highlights the military scandal in September 1991 convention of the Tailhook Association which was held at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. It elaborates the judicial approach made to the military scandal. It is ended that the advocates of sexual integration deny any special tendency of men to protect women.

Rape is one of the most underreported crimes worldwide, not least because of the trauma facing complainants once the case goes to trial. The case of S v Zuma was a clear illustration of this problem. The court's decision to allow Zuma's lawyers to cross-examine the complainant about her sexual history (governed by section 227 of the Criminal Procedure Act) has far-reaching implications. The court's failure to deal properly with section 227 has set a worrying precedent that is now binding on the lower courts where the majority of rape cases are heard. Moreover, the judgment does not reflect a consideration of the impact on the complainant's right to human dignity, privacy and equality. This means the court missed an opportunity to align section 227 with the constitutional dictates that now govern the administration of justice in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article highlights some of the case-by-case considerations that inform prosecutorial decisions in adult sexual assault cases in Australia. It provides an analysis of interviews with Crown Prosecutors from five jurisdictions in the country. The interviews consider practical factors that are taken into account in decisions to proceed with or discontinue sexual assault cases, as well as views from prosecutors on what constitutes victim credibility. Factors influencing the decisions of prosecutors to proceed with the cases include consistency, fresh complaint, and level of offence. Meanwhile, factors influencing the decisions of prosecutors to discontinue with the cases include inexplicable internal inconsistencies in the victim's story, mental condition, and delayed complaint.

During the 1970s and 1980s, in both Britain and New Zealand, mounting criticism was made of the way in which women rape complainants were treated by the police and criminal justice system. In response to these criticisms, legal and procedural changes were introduced in both countries in the mid-1980s, aimed at improving women's experience of the reporting process. As in England, however, little research was conducted following these changes to assess their impact on women's experiences of the police reporting process. In a recent British Journal of Criminology article (1997), Jennifer Temkin presented research findings based on a study of women in Sussex who reported rape in the 1990s. By way of comparison, this article presents the results of similar research conducted within the New Zealand context. Both studies, although conducted ‘worlds apart’, produced similar results and generated strikingly similar conclusions. This article presents a summary of the findings from the New Zealand research and explores possible explanations for the apparent lack of major improvement in women's experiences of the rape reporting process in both countries. It concludes that while the police and rape victims remain seemingly ‘worlds apart’ in their perspectives and needs, little in the way of substantive improvements appears possible within this historically and cross-culturally fraught area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]