the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton NJ, oh the irony Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal today took important steps to ensure that victims of sexual assault continue to receive the services and respect they deserve and that their cases are handled in accordance with best practices by law enforcement officers and prosecutors.
Funny from a state that just elected an Senator that allegedly spent time with under age prostitutes in the Dominican Republic.
Attorney General Grewal today issued the Attorney General Standards for Providing Services to Victims of Sexual Assault, Third Edition (“Standards”). The Standards establish 14 protocols that prioritize the needs and concerns of victims and seek to continue and expand upon current practices to ensure that victims receive respectful treatment and appropriate services. The Standards update prior editions of such standards by addressing recent changes in law and policy, advances in evidence-based practices, and current realities impacting victims and affected populations. The Standards also provide for more victim feedback and greater accountability with regard to services. The Standards were formulated collaboratively in a lengthy process involving a working group consisting of prosecutors, healthcare professionals, service providers, victim advocates, the Courts, and others.
Simultaneously, Attorney General Grewal issued a statewide law enforcement directive to ensure implementation of the enhanced standards and improve protocols and oversight for sexual assault investigations and prosecutions. In an effort to better track and evaluate these cases, Attorney General Directive 2018-5 establishes new reporting requirements and provides for the gathering and evaluation of data on Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) activations, sexual assault investigations and prosecutions, disposition of cases, and factors used in determining case dispositions. It also requires each county prosecutor’s office to develop and implement procedures and protocols requiring law enforcement agencies to report sexual assault incidents and complaints within 24 hours. Under this directive, victims are provided the opportunity to meet with an assistant prosecutor in person to explain the basis when a prosecution will not go forward.
Never convicted