Looking Ahead: The National Sexual Assault Policy Symposium

Overview

The National Institute of Justice, the research and development arm of the U.S. Department of Justice, through its Forensic Technology Center of Excellence hosted Looking Ahead: The National Sexual Assault Policy Symposium on September 8-9, 2016, in Washington, DC. The symposium focused on how the nation is moving forward and finding solutions to the complex issues that arise in sexual assault cases and in testing sexual assault evidence.

This unprecedented event, which featured an array of stakeholders including medical staff, law enforcement, crime laboratories, victims’ advocates, and prosecution, highlighted current accomplishments and shared valuable experiences from jurisdictions throughout the country. The goal of the event was to support our nation’s policymakers and practitioners as they drive future efforts to solve sexual assault cases, provide justice to victims, and ultimately improve public health and public safety. 

Symposium Agenda

Click here to view the symposium agenda.

Panel Archives

To access an archived panel, please click on the panel below. 

Day 1 Opening Remarks
Panel 1 - Immediate Aftermath of Sexual Assault
Panel 2 - Victim-Centered Approaches to Sexual Assault First Response
Panel 3 - Investigating Sexual Assault - Lessons Learned and Promising Practices
Panel 4 - Legislative Reform - Addressing Sexual Assault across the Nation
Panel 5 - The Role of Evidence in Sexual Assault Cases
Day 1 Closing Remarks
Day 2 Opening Remarks
Panel 6 - An Unbelievable Story of Rape
Panel 7 - Testing Sexual Assault Evidence
Panel 8 - Building an Efficient Laboratory
Day 2 Guest Speaker
Panel 9 - Funding and Resources to Solve Sexual Assault Cases
Panel 10 - Using Multidisciplinary Collaboration to Improve Sexual Assault Response
Day 2 Closing Remarks
Video Screening and Discussion: Progress on Testing Sexual Assault Kits- An update from the Nevada Sexual Assault Kit Backlog Working Group

Keynote Speakers