The position and role of the victim in criminal investigations of rape

Abstract

Rape is one of the most traumatic forms of victimization and in most cases its emotional consequences exceed the effects of physical trauma. It is therefore important that crime investigators should be especially careful when dealing with victims and the negative experiences the victims have suffered, showing sensitivity to their needs. Crime investigators who are compassionate and sincere, who provide comfort, can create a positive atmosphere in which the victims are likely regain the sense of control over their lives and actions and decide to assist in the investigation. This applies to all criminal offences, but is particularly true in the investigation of rape cases. A rape victim can provide crucial evidence of the criminal offence and the perpetrator. It is the victim in most cases who reports the act of sexual violence and gives a statement regarding the event itself and the perpetrator. Still, the fact that there is a high percentage of rape cases that go unreported requires special tactfulness and skilful crime investigation aimed at persuading the victims to cooperate, in the first place by reporting such criminal of- fences and their potential perpetrators. On the other hand, the cases of false rape reports and staged rape cases call for caution in the criminal investigations, in order to avoid double hazard - distrust of the victim's claims and possible secondary victimization in the case of actual rape and prosecution or possible conviction of innocent persons as rapists. The paper discusses the basic aspects of the victim's role in the criminal investigations of rape, starting from reporting the criminal offence and its perpetrator (taking into account the reasons for failure to report and staging rape), followed by the forensic and medical examination of the victim, to the interview with the victim, which is a particularly complex stage of the investigation.

Silovanje je jedna od najtraumatičnijih formi viktimizacije, kod koje u većini slučajeva emocionalne povrede prevazilaze posledice fizičkih trauma. Zato je važno da kriminalista bude posebno pažljiv prema žrtvi i negativnom iskustvu koje je doživela, te da ima sluha za njene potrebe. Kriminaliste koji su saosećajni, iskreni i koji joj pružaju utehu mogu stvoriti pozitivnu atmosferu u kojoj će ona povratiti osećaj kontrole nad svojim životom i postupcima i odlučiti da pomogne u istrazi. To važi za istrage svih krivičnih dela, ali posebno za slučajeve istraga silovanja. Žrtva silovanja je nosilac krucijalnih materijalnih dokaza o izvršenom krivičnom delu i učiniocu, ona je ta koja u većini slučajeva prijavljuje nasilnu obljubu i daje iskaz o samom događaju i njegovom učiniocu. Ipak, činjenica da u praksi postoji visok procenat neprijavljenih silovanja zahteva posebnu taktičnost i veštinu kriminaliste kako bi žrtvu naveo na saradnju, u prvoj instanci da prijavi krivično delo i potencijalnog izvršioca. S druge strane, slučajevi lažnog prijavljivanja i fingiranja silovanja ukazuju na oprez u kriminalističkim istragama kako bi se izbegla dvostruka opasnost - u slučaju stvarno izvršenog silovanja nepoverenje u tvrdnje žrtve i njena sekundarna viktimizacija, odnosno optužba i eventualna osuda nevinih lica kao silovatelja. U radu su obrađeni osnovni aspekti uloge žrtve u kriminalističkim is- tragama silovanja, od same prijave krivičnog dela i učinioca (uz razmatranje razloga neprijavljivanja i fingiranja), preko forenzičko-medicinskog pregleda žrtve, sve do kriminalističkog razgovora (intervjua) sa žrtvom, kao posebno kompleksnog dela istrage.