Justice for Survivors: DOJ Unveils Framework for Prosecutors

Sex Assault Survivors Get a Break: DOJ’s New Framework

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – In a major win for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has unveiled a new framework for prosecutors to strengthen their national response to these heinous crimes.

U.S. Attorney Will Thompson commends the announcement of the DOJ’s new resource for prosecutors, titled Framework for Prosecutors to Strengthen Our National Response to Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Involving Adult Victims. The guide, written by prosecutors for prosecutors, sets out five principles that, if implemented, will lead to better outcomes for victims, safer communities, and greater accountability for perpetrators.

“The framework announced today reaffirms our commitment to expanding access to justice for all survivors, who deserve respect and the right to be heard,” said Rosemarie Hidalgo, Director of the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). “Enhancing the prosecution response to sexual assault and domestic violence in a trauma-informed manner is a key piece in ending gender-based violence, as part of a broader coordinated community response that includes services and support for survivors.”

Thompson added, “This guide is a welcome resource for prosecutors at all levels of government, and goes to the heart of our primary obligation to the Constitution, to the rule of law, and to see that justice is done. In clear language informed by decades of expertise, insight and experience, it offers a blueprint for a stronger, consistent, and more effective response to these crimes.”

The guide aims to equip prosecutors to build provable cases by relying on the evidentiary value of the victim’s account, meeting with victims and working with investigators and victim specialists, using the law and evidentiary rules effectively, being thoughtful about what justice and accountability look like, and sustaining a productive, healthy, and committed workforce.

“As the state sexual assault coalition, the West Virginia Foundation for Rape Information and Services (WVFRIS) applauds the efforts of the U.S. Department of Justice to assist prosecutors in holding offenders accountable in cases of sexual assault and domestic violence,” said WVFRIS Executive Director Nancy Hoffman. “This is particularly timely in West Virginia, as our state Sexual Assault Kit Initiative has completed the processing of thousands of sex crime kits that had not been submitted for testing.”

More than 120 state, Tribal, military, and federal prosecutors, as well as advocates, academics, and investigators from an array of jurisdictions were consulted in developing this guide. The DOJ has also launched a new webpage with resources designed to assist prosecutors in implementing the guide and its principles.

In conjunction with this guide, the OVW has also launched a new webpage with resources designed to assist prosecutors in implementing the guide and its principles. This guide further serves as a complement to the Justice Department’s 2022 updated guidance on Improving Law Enforcement Response to Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence by Identifying and Preventing Trafficking.

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