UPC Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Trainings

Presented by Donna Kelly, Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Resource Prosecutor
To schedule any of these trainings in your area, please contact Donna Kelly
by email to dkelly@utah.gov, or by calling (801) 366-0341 or (801) 201-4759

Shoveling the Sidewalk while It’s Still Snowing - Investigation and Prosecution of Domestic Violence Cases (2 hours)
Domestic violence cases can be daunting for all criminal justice professionals. A two-hour training on the How-To’s of promoting safety for victims and putting together an effective prosecution case.

Domestic Violence Lethality Assessment (1 hour)
Lethality Assessment Protocols save lives. This presentation will focus on the Maryland Lethality Assessment program, which has been in place in Maryland since 2005 and is used by all law enforcement first responders in that state. DV homicides have been reduced by 30 % in Maryland since they began using the program. Learn about the law enforcement lethality screen and how to use it as a guide for all criminal justice professionals.

“I hate this case!” Working With The Reluctant Victim (90 minutes)
Have you experienced the frustration of trying to help a domestic violence victim that is reluctant to participate in the legal system? The presentation includes video clips and discussion of the case involving NFL player Ray Rice as a starting point for discussion of understanding the dynamics in these important but challenging cases.

“He Choked the Life Out of Me!” - Investigation and Prosecution of Cases Involving Strangulation (2 hours)
Using Utah’s Aggravated Assault statute to prosecute a case involving strangulation can be challenging. This two-hour training on the potentially lethal crime of strangulation and gathering medical and other evidence for use in prosecution cases focuses on the issue of “force likely to cause death or serious physical injury.”
Presented with Susan Chasson, Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner

Cold Case Investigation and Prosecution (90 minutes)
A fascinating look at the advances in DNA technology that improve success in investigation and prosecution of cold cases. Looking closely at the Boston Strangler case, this presentation focusses on the steps to take to bring justice to previously closed cases.   

Hunters and The Hunted: Sex Offenders and Victims (1 hour)
Current research on sex offenders gives us new insight on how they choose their victims and perpetrate their crimes. Learn how to look for signs of perpetration and improve sexual assault investigations and prosecutions.   

Beyond “Just the Facts, Ma’am” - Trauma Informed Response to Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Crimes (2 hours)
Do you understand the difference between lying and the effects of trauma on a person’s ability to describe events? This presentation helps criminal justice professionals understand basic scientific concepts concerning the neurobiology of trauma so that victims of traumatic crimes will be understood, increasing the success of sexual assault cases.

A Revolution in Trauma Informed Response: Trauma Informed Victim Interviews (2 hours)
West Valley City Police Department and the Utah Prosecution Council have created and implemented a new protocol for sexual assault cases incorporating the principles of the neurobiology of trauma. This presentation is fast-paced and interactive and focusses on the how-to’s of doing a trauma-informed victim interview, including video clips from real sexual assault interviews.
Presented with Detective Justin Boardman, West Valley City Police Department

Debunking Common Sexual Assault Myths (1 hour)
The public - and many judges and juries - believe many myths that can lead to injustice for sexual assault victims. This one-hour presentation will focus on dispelling the myths that are most common in our society.

Using Expert Witness Testimony in Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Cases (1 hour)
Does your case need an expert witness? This presentation for prosecutors focuses on whether to call an expert, what type of expert should be used, and how to present expert testimony in court.

Sexual Assault 101 - The How-To’s of Putting Together Effective Cases (4 hours)
Practical ways of putting together effective cases using a team approach will be emphasized. Topics include: interviews of victims and perpetrators, use of forensic DNA and serology evidence, everything you always wanted to know about the sexual assault exam. The roles of police officers, first responders, medical providers and prosecutors will be discussed.
Presented with Susan Chasson, Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner

Out of the Shadows - Using the Criminal Justice System to Combat Stalking (2 hours)
The tenacity of stalking perpetrators can push the system and the victims to their limit. A two-hour training on the typology of stalkers and the criminal justice system approaches that work best for each type of stalker. Utah stalking statutes and case law will be discussed.

The View from the Prosecutor’s Desk (One hour)
A how-to session on working effectively with your prosecutor to achieve justice. What makes prosecutors tick? What motivates them? How do they look at your case?  Designed for all criminal justice professionals who work with prosecutors on a regular basis.

Report to Court for Police Officers (2 hours)
The How To’s of writing bullet-proof domestic violence and sexual assault police reports. This fast-paced and interactive workshop will prepare officers for being effective witnesses in court. Officers will be “volunteered” from the audience to do role-playing of testifying based upon the report they have written, including both direct and cross exam.
Presented with Detective Justin Boardman, West Valley City Police Department

Note: All the above trainings can be modified as to time and content to meet your specific training needs. If you need training on a subject not listed, Utah Prosecution Council will prepare a customized presentation to fit your needs.

The Human Cost of Sexual Violence

By Donna Kelly, Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Resource Prosecutor

Given at the Utah Health Department’s Cost of Sexual Violence Press Conference, Utah State Capitol, January 13, 2016

Today we have heard the results of the Utah Health Department’s study that found that sexual violence costs Utah $5 billion annually. I would like to speak for a few minutes about the human cost of sexual violence.

As a prosecutor, I have worked with sexual assault victims for the last 25 years. I have seen first-hand the devastation of sexual assault in the lives of victims. One sexual assault victim went from an outgoing and friendly college student to a recluse who lost her job and her college career because she could no longer leave her home. I have worked with victims who were afraid be alone in their own homes or to sleep in their own beds. I worked with a young man who told me that he thought of committing suicide daily because his family told him that he was at fault for his sexual assault because of his sexual orientation. I have worked with victims who would cry uncontrollably throughout the day, who had lost all joy in life and could not function normally. Indeed, I could talk for the next several hours about the pain and devastation of sexual assault that I have personally witnessed.

And the devastation continues. Just yesterday I picked up the Salt Lake Tribune and read about a case in which a young woman was raped and severely beaten in a restroom in a Burger King restaurant in West Valley City. Here are some things she told the Tribune.

“It’s been hard to deal with normal life. I don’t feel safe, no matter where I am. I am always scared someone is going to come up and attack me. This action from this one man will have consequences that will last my entire lifetime.”

We are here today because Utah’s rates of sexual assault are too high – they are in fact higher than the national average. We are here today because we have studied and learned, we have seen the horrifying financial and personal cost of sexual assault, and now it is time for us to take action.

It is time that we put away the old, tired excuses for our inaction. It is time we put away the “not my problem” attitude. Because it is our problem. In fact, it is a problem that only we can fix. It’s on us.

I am not here to say that it will be an easy fix. But our goal is worthy and our cause is just. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could someday stand in this place and hold a press conference to say “Utah is the safest state in the United States.”

I believe this is possible. But it will take a sustained and significant effort from all of us. We need effort not just from the criminal justice system, but from the medical community, the schools, the churches, the private businesses, the media. We need all hands on deck to deal with sexual assault in Utah. We need everyone.

There is one simple thing we can all do starting today. We can believe and support victims. Last legislative session Representative Angela Romero sponsored a proclamation that made Utah a “Start by Believing” state.

This is an important step – to have Utah publicly declare that we will “Start by Believing” victims in Utah and help them in their journey for justice and healing. April 6 is the official Start by Believing Day here in Utah, and we all need to support this important public awareness campaign. We need to educate all Utahns. We need to ask every Utahn this question: “When someone tells you they were assaulted, what will your reaction be?” And then we need to ask them not to attack or blame victims, but instead to offer love and support.

I would like to share one brief cautionary tale of what can happen if we don’t believe survivors. Years ago I handled a case where a young woman reported being sexually assaulted by her uncle. The uncle was a man who was viewed as a “pillar” in the community – in the business world and in his church community. We filed the case and it went to trial. The young woman bravely told what happened to her to the jury. The jury found him not guilty. The effect on her life was devastating. She was ridiculed, ostracized for several years. Then years later that uncle was diagnosed with cancer and set about making amends in his life, settling up his affairs. He confessed that she had told the truth and apologized for his crimes against her. Yet the damage had been done, not only by his crimes and false denial but by the friends and family members who had harmed her as well.

One rape survivor once described that being a survivor is a terrifying and lonely journey. We have the power to take away that loneliness, to walk with survivors in their journey.

Utah’s first Governor Brigham Young once declared “This is the Place.”

Today is the day for each of us to make declarations of our own. “This is the Place” where we stand up and speak out against sexual violence. “This is the Place” where we work together to make all people in our state feel safe and protected. “This is the Place” where we help all victims to heal.