NCJ Number
163637
Date Published
1996
Length
90 pages
Annotation
This report presents the results of a New South Wales (Australia) survey of sexual assault victims who took their cases to court; it evaluates the police, health, and court services provided to victims.
Abstract
The survey was conducted with a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire was constructed with regard to the stated guidelines and policy of each government service provided to sexual assault victims. The questionnaire consisted of five sections. The first three sections were designed to ensure an adequate assessment of each area of service for victims. They focused on victims' experiences with the police service, health services, and court processing of the case. Another section asked questions about the characteristics of the offense, and section five asked questions about the demographic characteristics of the respondent. The analysis was based on 43 questionnaires of respondents whose cases had been completed in the District Court between September 19, 1994, and June 30, 1995. Generally, respondents expressed satisfaction with the police service, although there were some departures from police guidelines, and the provision of information could be improved. Complainants also expressed general satisfaction with health services, although some respondents were not satisfied with the level of availability of services; and there were also some departures from protocol. Complainants expressed the least satisfaction with court services and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, with more than half of respondents' recommendations for improvement pertaining to aspects of their courtroom experience and the services they received while at court. 33 tables, 16 notes, and 28 references