Procedures Which Should Be Followed if a Sex Offense Occurs
- Victims of or witnesses to sexual assaults are strongly urged and advised to notify immediately the University's Department of Public Safety (Police) at 313-577-2222, as well as other University authorities. Reports prepared and investigations conducted by the Department of Public Safety shall be submitted to the Detroit Police Department for a coordinated effort toward resolution and prosecution.
- Victims and/or witnesses may also initiate a report/investigation by contacting the University Judicial Officer, who will assist in notifying the Department of Public Safety. Victims may also be assisted by University Counseling and Placement Services and by the Equal Opportunity and Neighborhood Relations Office.
- Because the collection of evidence by medical and police personnel is critical to the prosecution of sexual assault offenses, victims are strongly advised to delay changing clothes, cleaning their persons or clothing, or applying medication, except as may be medically necessary.
- All cases reported to the Department of Public Safety shall be thoroughly investigated. The first priority of the responding public safety officers shall be to care for the victim. The officers shall assist the victim in obtaining appropriate medical attention, giving due regard to the collection of evidence by medical personnel. Evidence technicians shall be responsible for the collection and the preservation of crime scene evidence. Interviews of the victim shall be conducted by same gender officers, if that is the victim's preference. Officers shall accommodate the victim's choice of location for lodging a complaint. The identity of the victim shall not be release to the public or the media. If an arrest is made, a public safety officer shall be made available to accompany the victim throughout the criminal proceedings, including line-ups, preliminary examinations, pre-trial conferences, trials and sentencing.
This University wide policy can also be found at
http://www.deo.wayne.edu/Files/Policy/eo94-2.htm.
02/10/05