Douglas County DA dropped false report charges. Now it looks to training on rape investigations
The Douglas County District Attorney announced this week that his office is taking steps to strengthen the response of prosecutors and police to sexual assault investigations in the county, including added training and the creation of a task force.
The plan was outlined in a statement from Branson, who said last fall he wanted to work with police to update his office’s guidelines.
The changes came after The Star reported on a woman Douglas County prosecutors accused of falsely reporting a rape. After questions were raised about the case, Branson dropped the charges against that woman and two others accused of making false reports.
First, Branson said Thursday, prosecutors as well as victim and witness coordinators have completed a training course on trauma-informed sexual assault investigations. The course is designed to help prosecutors understand how rape can affect survivors and the impact trauma can have on survivors. Branson said this training will be standard for all staff.
The office says it is also calling on assistance from a national expert, Thomas Tremblay, to create a comprehensive community training program for local law enforcement, prosecutors and agencies that offer support to survivors of sexual assault. Tremblay, a retired police chief from Burlington, Vermont, and former commissioner of the Vermont Department of Public Safety, is described on his website as a “national leader in the development and delivery” of training on trauma-informed sexual assault investigations.
In Douglas County, Branson said he has also formed a task force consisting of local law enforcement agencies and survivor support agencies, including the Lawrence Police Department, the University of Kansas Office of Public Safety and the Sexual Trauma & Abuse Care Center. Others would be announced at a later date, he said.
The task force is expected to help develop a protocol for investigating sexual assaults to be used by all law enforcement agencies in the county. The district attorney said the task force also has been set up to organize future training opportunities and “ensure the most current investigative and prosecution practices are followed.”
Finally, the office said it plans to provide continuing education and training each year on trauma-informed investigations and prosecutions.
“Sexual assault cases are some of the most difficult cases to prosecute because they often involve the most private details of someone’s personal life,” Branson said in a statement. “It’s our responsibility to find innovative ways to improve and strengthen our response to these and other crimes.”
