How to preserve all evidence relating to the crime

Reference no: EM133300218

Story: You are a substance abuse counselor that works at Tiffany's school. You overhear a student (Tiffany) talking to her friend about a party she was at the night before. She is crying, looks disheveled, and has bruising on her neck and arms. Dispatch sends an officer who specializes in female assault cases to the school. The officer enters the school where he meets the substance abuse counselor who directs him to the students. The officer approaches the student who is crying and asks if he may speak to her privately. She is shaking and appears frightened, but agrees to go with the officer.

The officer takes the girl into a private classroom. The officer learns the girl's name is Tiffany and that she thinks she may have been raped at a party she went to last night. In an attempt to build rapport, the officer sits down beside Tiffany and advises her that he has some sensitive questions that must be asked so that he can find out what happened to her.

You are the officer interviewing Tiffany. You report that Tiffany has on a shirt that has rips and tears along with some sort of staining. You also note that Tiffany's makeup is smeared, she is scared, has been crying and is displaying signs of pain in her stomach, as her arms crossed around the stomach area and she is sitting slightly hunched over. You ask Tiffany where she was last night and her account of what happened. Tiffany explains that she went to a party, consumed alcohol, and the last thing she remembers is laughing with a college boy she had just met. The next thing she knew, she woke up in a strange bed, alone, with pain in her genital area and stomach, her clothes were torn and she felt nauseous and disoriented. You ask Tiffany if she showered and if the clothes she is wearing are the same clothes from last night. Tiffany states she has not showered and they are the clothes from last night.

Tiffany agrees to seek immediate medical attention. At the hospital, the doctor takes Tiffany's statement and documents all of the injuries she sustained, which include bruised ribs, lacerations of wrists, vaginal bruising, and black and blue marks around her neck. The doctor collects a rape kit and blood sample that will be sent to a crime lab for analysis, along with all of the torn and stained clothing that Tiffany had on. The rape kit tests positive for semen and blood and the toxicology report confirms that GHB is present in the blood sample. The information is passed onto the police, who continue to investigate Tiffany's claim of being raped.

Question 1: The central issue in Evidence and Empathy revolves around how to interview a victim of a rape as well as how to preserve any and all evidence relating to the crime. Explain your choices in this scenario by addressing the following questions.

Who do you think was more successful at interviewing the victim; the substance abuse counselor or the police officer? Explain your reasoning.

Question 2: Was the physical evidence collected in the correct manner? Why or why not?

Reference no: EM133300218

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