In this April 2018 lunchtime seminar, members of WCW's Justice and Gender-Based Violence Research team presented new findings of a recent study of sexual assault case attrition. The team discovered that most cases of rape reported to the police do not result in prosecution -- in fact one in three cases with probable cause did not result in arrest. Based on qualitative interviews with prosecutors, detectives, and victim services, they unpacked the reasons, rationales, and justifications for case attrition and how law, justice, and system practices intersect to maintain the high rates of case attrition. The discussion raised questions about how after four decades of advocacy for survivors, so few see justice served and whether and how the #MeToo movement will change this.
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April 19, 2018
