A landmark agreement has been reached to reform the Missoula County Attorney’s Office (MCAO) after an investigation revealed alleged gender bias in the prosecution of sexual assaults. The agreement comes after the Civil Rights Division’s investigation into the response of the Missoula criminal justice system and the University of Montana to sexual assault allegations.
According to Attorney General Eric Holder, the agreement will ‘fundamentally transform the way in which the Missoula County Attorney’s Office responds to sexual assault allegations.’ He added that the reforms will ‘eliminate gender bias, improve communication and prosecution techniques, and increase support for victims.’
Under the agreement, the MCAO will take several steps to address gender bias and improve its response to sexual assault allegations. These steps include developing and implementing sexual assault policies and training for prosecutors, improving treatment of individuals who report sexual assault, and using prosecution techniques that have been shown to result in better sexual assault investigations.
The MCAO will also improve communication and coordination with other Missoula stakeholders regarding sexual assault response, including through public outreach and collaboration with the Missoula Police Department in conducting and analyzing the results of a victim witness survey.
Montana Attorney General Tim Fox will oversee the implementation of these measures, review sexual assault cases MCAO declines to prosecute, and retain a technical advisor, Anne Munch, a former sex crimes prosecutor and one of the country’s foremost experts in the subject area.
The agreement completes the Civil Rights Division’s investigation into the response of the Missoula criminal justice system and the University of Montana to sexual assault allegations. Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, Jocelyn Samuels, said, ‘Sexual assault is a crime that is all too pervasive and that has devastating consequences.’
The reforms are expected to improve the treatment of victims of sexual assault and increase public safety in the Missoula community.
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Key Facts
- State: Montana
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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