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The case of a former Cornell University student who alleges she was drugged and gang raped is raising questions about how police should handle cases with a traumatized victim. Researchers say the majority of law enforcement investigators are not well trained on trauma-informed approaches, and they say that's a problem. NPR's Jaclyn Diaz has more.
JACLYN DIAZ, BYLINE: Earlier this month, a woman, known as Jane Doe, filed a civil lawsuit detailing allegations against seven men she said assaulted her at a Cornell fraternity house two years ago. Prosecutors have since reopened the case. Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said a 2024 statement from Jane Doe was central to why his office did not pursue criminal charges two years ago. Van Houten spoke to NPR member station in New York, WSKG. He said the behavior described in the statement was disgusting.
MATTHEW VAN HOUTEN: That being said, that's not the legal standard. And we can't prosecute someone for a crime because they're morally wrong.
DIAZ: He said there are discrepancies between her earlier statement and new details in her lawsuit. Trauma researchers and advocates for sexual assault victims say that's pretty common. They say gaps in an initial statement warrant further investigation and not suspicion.
DAVE THOMPSON: Our memories don't work like a video recorder that we can just rewind, hit play, and remember from start to finish what happened. We might remember the sound, the feeling of an impact, maybe a scream. We remember bits and pieces.
DIAZ: That's Dave Thompson, a certified forensic interviewer and a consultant who trains investigators in interview techniques. He says...
THOMPSON: Anybody that interacts with survivors or victims or witnesses to crimes should be trained in a trauma-informed approach.
DIAZ: This approach takes into account research into how trauma affects the brain, body, memory and behavior. Investigators use that knowledge to help people feel safe, to build trust. It also allows people adequate time to share what they remember. And that has a big effect on an investigation. Rebecca Campbell is a psychology professor at Michigan State University. She has studied sexual assault and trauma for more than 30 years.
REBECCA CAMPBELL: In most U.S. law enforcement agencies, a lot of responding officers and even a fair percentage of their detectives do not have training on how to work with victims of interpersonal trauma.
DIAZ: A government study showed that police trainees spend little time on this issue. In 2018, the Bureau of Justice Statistics found most police academies surveyed offered training on sexual assault. Of the 833 hours spent on basic training, the study found only 7 hours on average were spent on sexual assault. Due to a lack of adequate training, Campbell says, police often dismiss lapses in memory as a victim making up details, so they are reluctant to pursue a case.
CAMPBELL: These patterns are long-standing and entrenched.
DIAZ: She has worked hard to show the benefits of trauma-informed policing.
CAMPBELL: It's like one step forward, two steps back.
DIAZ: And she says the Cornell case, unfortunately, highlights that issue.
Jaclyn Diaz, NPR News.
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