Investigating relationship-based sexual crimes, contemporary issues 20 November 2024
A CPD event aimed at investigators and analysts working in a major crime role who want to develop a great understanding of contemporary issues and current guidance around the investigation of relationship-based sexual crimes where the victim is the sole complainant.
These crimes include:
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Rape and serious sexual offences
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Child sexual abuse
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Grooming offences
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Sexual harassment
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Domestic violence
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Coercive and controlling behaviours
The main emphasis of the workshop is to provide delegates with best practice around how to develop their own investigative approaches and address the challenges and complexities of these crimes.
Event will be led by Dr Patrick Tidmarsh, an internationally recognised expert around sexual offending. He is the pioneer of the Whole Story approach that is central to Operation Soteria, a unique programme that involves police, CPS and academia working together to improve the criminal justice response to the investigation and prosecution of rape and serious sexual offences.
Dr Tidmarsh now lectures and trains law enforcement across the world having spent more than 30 years working with thousands of sex offenders, including serial rapists and child molesters.
Understanding dynamics and sexual offending and developing appropriate investigative approaches
Figures show the majority of these crime are committed without the use of sexual violence and force by an offender who is often known to the victims.
Offenders often build a relationship with the victim involving trust, power and fear, rendering it difficult for victims simply to discontinue a relationship with their abuser after an assault.
Offenders often engage in coercive control and a grooming process where they gradually manipulate the victim into thinking they are responsible for or have consented to the abuse, and that there will be negative consequences if they disclose the abuse.
As most rapes and sexual assaults occur in a residential location, isolated from potential witnesses, such corroborative evidence is seldom available. Sexual assault victims (and offenders) are often the only witnesses to the crime. It is therefore critically important that investigators understand the dynamics of sexual offending and develop appropriate investigative approaches to elicit relevant information from alleged victims and suspects.
Our day will also address some of the common misconceptions around relationship-based sexual crimes where the victim is the sole complainant.
The Whole Story Approach
The Whole Story approach recognises that sexual-offending is often a relationship-based crime, whereby offenders use psychological coercion to "groom" their victims into compliance.
This technique provides investigators with a professional knowledge base to help them better contextualise the offence and gather evidence related to three important components of a sexual offence:
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Grooming, referring to information related to the process by which offenders manipulate victims into compliance.
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Unique signifiers, referring to the unique elements of each offending 'relationship'.
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Points of confirmation, referring to information gathering that will allow investigators to develop a better understanding of the unique and private dynamics of sexual offending narratives (of both the victim and the offender) and to gather broader and clearer contextual evidence with which to compare these narratives.
The workshop will be held online via Teams. Certificates of CPD available.
HOW TO BOOK
Cost: £210 + VAT (GBP) per delegate (LEA and Government Agency rate). £260+ VAT (Industry rate).
Group bookings: We offer various discounts for group bookings depending on numbers, please contact us for details.
Booking: Please send the delegates name(s), email address(es) and purchase order (made out to The Investigator) to booking@the-investigator.co.uk or use our booking form HERE
Payment can be made by PayPal/debit/credit card (corporate card fees apply + 3%). The meeting link will be sent out 7 days before the event.