When we learn that a victim of sexual assault has not reported their case, it may be hard for us to understand why.
Besides not wanting to revisit such a traumatic incident, incidents may also be wary of “victim-blaming”, which is often described as a “second wave of trauma.”
This occurs when a victim of a crime or an accident is held responsible in some way for the crimes that have been committed against them – one 2010 study found that more blame appears to be assigned to victims of sexual violence such as rape.
Those who blame the victims in such cases often point out the fact they’ve been drinking or dressing in a certain way, among other things.
So, when you hear that police officers here may ask victims of sexual crimes about what they wore during the incident, you’d probably be outraged.
But the police have a very simple explanation for this.
SPF Explain Why They Need to Ask Victim of Sexual Crimes on What She Wears
Unbeknownst to many of us, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) has been releasing short episodes of a web series that answers “burning questions” from the public.
Episode 2 of “Hello Police?” deals with how officers handle reports of sexual crimes.
The series is hosted by Yulin and Luqman, who are both Ground Response Force (GRF) officers.
One of the questions they addressed was why officers sometimes need to know what a victim was wearing at the time of their assault.
The officers explained that such questions are for investigative purposes only – a description of their clothing could help officers identify them if CCTV footage is retrieved.
Such questions do not imply or assign responsibility to the victim, Yulin said, nor are they intended to shame anyone.
“Remember, our intention is to always establish the truth and bring justice to the victims,” Yulin said.
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Why Early Reporting is Important
The duo noted that there are many reasons why a victim may not want to report their assault, as there are “complex” emotions associated with it.
“They could be afraid of family, friends, or simply embarrassed or ashamed to do anything.”
But the police believes that early reporting is important as it allows officers to gather evidence and identify the suspect quickly.
The officers assured victims that all investigation findings will be kept confidential and that the identity of the victim will be protected.
They added that the police takes a “victim-centric” approach in their investigations, where they pay close attention to the emotions of victims.
The officers tasked with these cases are equipped with skills such as:
- sexual crime investigation principles and processes
- interview techniques with active listening skills
- victim management based on a trauma-informed approach to minimise re-traumatising victims during interviews
“If you are willing to step forward, we are always here for you,” the duo said.
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Featured Image: Facebook (Singapore Police Force)
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