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Research has explored how gender discrimination and sexist stereotypes in the form of rape myths permeate police investigations in England. Yet, scant attention has been given to the impact of intersectional structural disadvantages on shaping police responses to rape. Recent quantitative studies reveal a criminal justice gap for Black and minoritised victim-survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, pointing to a troubling policing reality that demands further scrutiny. This paper turns to that by drawing on data from 25 cases from four forces collected between 2021 and 2022 as part of Operation Soteria Bluestone (OSB) through a novel method in which police investigators critically peer review their colleagues' case files to assess strengths and weaknesses. Our study provides a unique methodological and empirical contribution to the field, as qualitative research on Black and minoritised women's experiences of policing as victim-survivors of sexual and domestic violence has primarily relied on interviews with police officers, victim-survivors and practitioners. The framework of institutional racism and intersectionality sheds light on how the police may inadequately respond to rape cases and the intersecting needs of migrant, Black and minoritised women. As Black feminists contend, the intersection of multiple categories of oppression both generates and invisibilises specific forms of violence and institutional responses to them. Our findings indicate that migrant, Black and minoritised victim-survivors are being failed on multiple fronts, including police neglect and inaction in rape investigations, ineffective addressing of language needs of migrant victim-survivors involved and a lack of referral to by-and-for specialist support services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low conviction rates and poor victim‐survivor experiences are the hallmarks of the permacrisis in the police investigation of rape. This article highlights the problems and discusses the way forward as proposed by Operation Soteria Bluestone, a police‐academic collaboration aimed at transformational change in the police response to rape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the lived experiences of investigative police officers in managing rape and serious sexual offences (RASSO) in Nigeria, a developing country with a conservative patriarchal system and deep-rooted rape culture. A qualitative study involving 24 sexual crime-investigating police officers of six states' police commands in southwest Nigeria was conducted, and a thematic analysis of the narratives was carried out. Findings indicated police efforts at addressing RASSO are constrained by inadequate resources, deficiencies in personnel skilled in RASSO investigation, lack of specialist training, and low motivational incentives. Participants reported problematic interactions with RASSO victims and made comments that communicated their acceptance of rape myths, including beliefs surrounding victim culpability and false reporting. The study suggested the reimagining of police strategies at improving rape investigations by deploying specialist approaches to policing RASSO. Deploying specialism will require engaging officers with knowledge and skills in investigating rape cases, better engagement with the victims, specialist training, and addressing rape script acceptance among sexual crime detectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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.

According to police records, many rape cases are closed because victims withdraw from the police investigation. However, little is known about the causes of victim withdrawal, and findings need to be replicated in other cultural contexts, as existing literature primarily stems from the US and UK. Based on a sample of rapes reported in a Danish police district, the present study was aimed at enhancing our understanding of the characteristics and causes of recorded victim withdrawal from the police investigation following rape using a mixed-methods approach. The objective of the study was twofold. The first objective was to investigate the impact of selected case characteristics on the likelihood of recorded victim withdrawal using a logistic regression analysis. Results showed that stranger assaults and cases with no verbal or physical victim resistance or no forensic examination were significantly associated with an increased likelihood of recorded victim withdrawal. The second objective was to qualitatively explore police documented reasons for victim withdrawal in files using content analysis. Results indicated that victims may withdraw from the investigation for several reasons, for instance due to psychological distress associated with participating in an investigation. The findings underline potential barriers for the cooperation between victims and police in the investigation of rapes and should be used for establishing initiatives toward reducing the risk of victim withdrawal in rape investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe levels of attrition in rape cases within the criminal justice system are widely recognised. Previous reviews (e.g. Hohl & Stanko, 2015. Complaints of rape and the criminal justice system: Fresh evidence on the attrition problem in England and Wales. European Journal of Criminology, 12(3), 324–341) have provided information on the general profile of cases, their outcomes, and the relationship between the two, in attempts to understand these patterns. However, recent changes to the landscape of rape investigation (e.g. the impact of technology) justify a more contemporary assessment. The present study coded 446 cases of rape reported in London in April 2016, on a variety of victim, suspect, offence, and procedural characteristics, as well as case outcomes. We conducted descriptive analyses of case profiles and inferential examinations of the relationship between case characteristics and outcomes. Findings suggest the profile of victims, suspects, and the context of offences has remained mostly similar, with some noticeable changes (e.g. a larger array of victim vulnerabilities). Moreover, several existing, exacerbated, as well as novel procedural challenges present (e.g. delay due to workload, third party materials). Additionally, many rape-myth related case factors no longer predict case outcomes and officers instead may now engage in greater 'downstream' orientation, and anticipation of case uptake, when evaluating cases. Recommendations for policy and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the idea of 'offender-centric' policing in cases of rape, with its focus on suspect and offender admissions and behaviours. It features discussion of 11 cases, illustrating offender-centric pathways to charge or conviction, the challenges facing complainants, suspects and police officers, along with missed opportunities to focus on a suspect's behaviour. The importance of victim care and support is discussed, and it is argued that victim care should accompany an offender-centric approach to rape investigation. It is also argued that there are potential dangers with offender-centric tactics, specifically, that without due care it may become a self-confirming investigative tool influenced by confirmation bias which may lead to flawed decision-making. The article concludes by arguing that offender-centric policing has benefits in those cases with suspects who engage in predatory behaviour, have a history of previously undisclosed sexual offending and domestic violence and other problematic behaviours. It also has value in focusing the attention of investigators on what steps were taken by a suspect to ascertain the complainant's consent. While the offender-centric approach cannot address all investigative challenges in rape cases, it is a useful addition to existing strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

We present a case study of a researcher–reporter collaboration that formed from an initiative to address thousands of previously untested rape kits in one Midwestern (U.S.) jurisdiction. We explore this symbiotic partnership by examining (a) how and why it formed; (b) the outcomes, including extensive and public dissemination and a unique project that surveyed 294 Ohio law enforcement agencies to see what happened after the rape kits were tested (Ohio Rape Kit Survey Project); and (c) the impact that the partnership, dissemination, and larger initiative had in sparking demonstrable change in how the justice system and the general public responded to and engaged with the issue of untested rape kits and with victims of sexual assault. We conclude with larger takeaways from this collaboration for researchers and reporters but also provide a framework for how this type of collaboration can be leveraged to produce change for the greater good. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generally, the application of geographic profiling (also known as geoprofiling) is under-researched and its scientific and theoretical foundations, as well as the existing research evidence of its effectiveness, claimed to be inadequate and questionable. Notwithstanding, the present study explored the role of geographic profiling, in the context of the South African serial rapist, by scrutinising, amongst others, the locations of their crime sites. The basic theoretical assumptions underlying geographic profiling, their empirical validity, methods of constructing geographic profiles, and geographic profiling's accuracy were also probed. Findings presented pioneering criminological insights on how serial rapists navigated to and from their crime sites, which could potentially assist national and international crime investigators with the prediction of subsequent offence locales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conviction rates for rape and serious sexual offences (RASSO) in England and Wales are at an all-time low, with 1.6% of cases resulting in conviction. Whilst officers value victim care, their ability to support victims is compromised by organisational expectations aimed at regaining legitimacy. The authors argue that strategies employed to re-establish legitimacy may conflict with wider public value delivery. They question the application of New Public Management and target setting approaches to evaluate good policing. The paper offers suggestions as to why internal and external legitimacy is required to achieve transformational change and wider legitimacy in RASSO investigations. [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]

This article examines quantitative and qualitative data in an analysis of the workings of a specialist rape investigation unit and compares its performance with a non-specialist investigative approach. This is the first study to examine the work of a specialist rape investigation unit in this way. The research finds that the specialist unit outperformed the non-specialist investigative approach in many, though not all performance measures, including charging and 'reached court' rates in rape cases, retention of cases characterised by complex victim vulnerability, allocation of Sexual Assault Investigation Trained (SAIT) officers, rate of referral to Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVA) and accuracy of crime recording. Further, police officer interview data suggest that team working and support, communication and a sense of common purpose were distinctive features of the specialist unit, when contrasted to experience of working in a non-specialist policing environment. These findings have policy and resource implications for the policing of rape and the need to achieve the best possible investigative standards in sexual offence cases, including the provision of appropriate care and addressing the needs of highly vulnerable victims. The article concludes by arguing that there is a growing body of evidence to suggest that investigative specialism is a crucial element in the police response to rape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When decisions are made under time pressure, individuals tend to reduce the number of hypotheses generated to explain and solve problems. This research investigates the extent to which individual differences in (a) domain-specific experience, (b) fluid intelligence, (c) need for closure (NFC), and (d) time urgency moderated the effect of time pressure on investigative hypothesis generation. Korean detectives (N = 133) participated in simulated investigative scenarios. To induce the perception of time pressure, one group was informed that the task would have to be completed under time pressure (N = 66), whereas the other group did not receive this instruction (N = 67); although both groups had the same amount of time). Outcomes included the number and quality of hypotheses generated for solving the case. The quality of hypotheses generated was measured against criteria established by expert detectives. Results revealed that time pressure directly decreased the quantity and quality of hypotheses generated. In the relationships, low time urgency moderated the effect of time pressure on the number and quality of hypotheses generated, also low NFC moderated the impact of time pressure on the number of hypotheses generated. Furthermore, the most experienced detectives were least affected by the negative association between time pressure and the quality of hypotheses generated. The findings suggest lower time urgency, lower NFC and more experience are adaptive 'protective' factors against the negative impact of time pressure on hypothesis generation within high stakes and uncertain situations such as rape investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the necessity for a U.S. federal legislation that regulates the use of familial deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) searching in criminal investigations in light of the Golden State Killer case investigation in California. Topics discussed include the controversy over the use of a DNA data bank in the identification of suspect Joseph DeAngelo, developments in the use of DNA analysis in police investigation, and the Fourth Amendment jurisprudence on search and seizure.

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]

Police officers are regularly required to make judgements of memories, however little is known about how they make these judgements. Research shows that police officers often rely on beliefs about memory that are not in line with scientific knowledge, meaning that flawed judgements of memory evidence may be being made. In this paper, we describe a recent empirical study that has quantified police officers ' beliefs about memory and apply the findings to Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis v DSD, showing how decision making may be driven partly by erroneous beliefs about memory. [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 suggests that New Hampshire emulate the New York case law that allows the statute of limitations on sexual offenses to toll until the rape kits of victims have been processed. The article describes the current state of tolling statutes of limitations for sex offenses in New York and New Hampshire and the failure of the latter state to include a DNA exception of its tolling statute. It recommends that New Hampshire use New York's common law strategy to introduce the DNA exception.

The list of motives by Kanin (1994) is the most cited list of motives to file a false allegation of rape. Kanin posited that complainants file a false allegation out of revenge, to produce an alibi or to get sympathy. A new list of motives is proposed in which gain is the predominant factor. In the proposed list, complainants file a false allegation out of material gain, emotional gain, or a disturbed mental state. The list can be subdivided into eight different categories: material gain, alibi, revenge, sympathy, attention, a disturbed mental state, relabeling, or regret. To test the validity of the list, a sample of 57 proven false allegations were studied at and provided by the National Unit of the Dutch National Police (NU). The complete files were studied to ensure correct classification by the NU and to identify the motives of the complainants. The results support the overall validity of the list. Complainants were primarily motivated by emotional gain. Most false allegations were used to cover up other behavior such as adultery or skipping school. Some complainants, however, reported more than one motive. A large proportion, 20% of complainants, said that they did not know why they filed a false allegation. The results confirm the complexity of motivations for filing false allegations and the difficulties associated with archival studies. In conclusion, the list of Kanin is, based on the current results, valid but insufficient to explain all the different motives of complainants to file a false allegation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines police officers’ perceptions of sexual assault and those who report sexual assault to the police, using a revised version of the Rape Myth Acceptance Scale along with a measure of social desirability bias. The study includes survey responses from 174 officers from 1 mid-sized police department in the Great Lakes region. Results show low to moderate levels of rape myth acceptance scores on the Rape Myth Acceptance Scale, with highest scores related to victim lying. Officers report very high estimates of false reporting, indicating some rape myth acceptance. Officer level of education, rank, and estimates of false reporting influence rape myth acceptance; however, social desirability bias is an important explanatory factor. Implications for measurement and training are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted a collaborative action research project with stakeholders in Detroit, Michigan, to develop long-term policy strategies to resolve ~11,000 untested rape kits that were discovered in a police storage facility in August 2009. In our research, we uncovered overwhelming evidence of victim-blaming behaviors and fundamental disrespect of rape survivors by the police, which directly contributed to their decisions not to submit kits for forensic testing. We had an ethical responsibility to report these negative findings accurately and completely, and in doing so, we were concerned that police stakeholders might disengage from the action research project and hamper our other ethical responsibilities to promote general and public welfare. In this article, we examine the ethical challenges of balancing accountability, collaboration, and social change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the case of a suspect (Suspect-3) who was convicted (and later exonerated) of participating in the multiple-attacker rape of two women. The forensic evidence against him was his inclusion in a 17-marker Y-STR mixture isolated from semen on one victim’s clothing. The DNA inclusion produced a match statistic with a combined probability of inclusion of 1 in 741, and a Likelihood Ratio of 3296. While the defense team was told that Suspect-3 was included in the semen DNA mixture, they were not told that all of the Y-STR alleles could also be explained by just the other two accused attackers’ haplotypes. Suspect-3 was subsequently freed after the Taiwan Association for Innocence requested re-examination of the incriminating mixed DNA sample. The Criminal Investigation Bureau was then able to exclude him using an extended set of Y-STR markers (23 loci), leading to his exoneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]