Saanich Police Department launches special unit dedicated to sexual assault investigations

A Vancouver Island police force has launched a new investigative unit focused solely on sexual assault cases, which will be looking into both historical and current offences. 

The Special Investigations Section (SIS), composed of nine officers, is already working on cases, according to the Saanich Police Department. 

Sgt. Jennifer Maher, one of two sergeants leading the unit, says the SIS comes after several reviews into how the department can improve. 

"We found some areas that we could improve on," she told All Points West guest host Kathryn Marlow. 

"They included initial response and interview techniques used during these investigations."

Members of the team already have some experience working sensitive cases, according to Saanich police spokesperson Const. Markus Anastasiades, but there will be more training specifically around interviewing survivors of sexual violence. He says speaking to children who have been through trauma, in particular, is a specialized skill.

Maher adds that they'll work closely with victim services, such as the Victoria Sexual Assault Centre, and will be connected with health-care teams at the local hospital.  

"All of these things will be done in a trauma-informed manner with the victim being able to have control of how the investigation flows, when things happen, who they talk to, where they're given the opportunity to talk," she said.

Anastasiades says the force receives 80 to 90 reports of sexual assault each year. 

Elijah Zimmerman, executive director with the Victoria Sexual Assault Centre, says less than 10 per cent of sexual assaults are reported to police — for many reasons, including the risk of retraumatizing the survivor, potential outcomes of legal proceedings, or the pressure to prove they were assaulted.

"It may feel just quite too overwhelming or not worth coming forward to pursue charges," Zimmerman said. 

Although the centre hasn't seen a noted increase in calls in recent years, Zimmerman says they get a "steady stream" of calls for support, and that more resources being put toward sexual assault investigations is welcomed.

Rajinder Sahota, a Victoria-based lawyer whose firm represents sexual assault survivors in civil cases, says "most certainly, this is a positive step."

However, while it's a move in the right direction, Sahota says much more needs to be done to improve justice for survivors of sexual violence. 

"It may be that we should ask ourselves whether or not the current system is the appropriate system to deal with these kinds of offences," he said, pointing out the challenges associated with proving sexual assault beyond a reasonable doubt in the context of generally private encounters.

"The real question when it comes to the criminal prosecution of sexual assault cases is whether or not the current model of the criminal justice system is the best venue in which to adjudicate these kinds of crimes."

In the meantime, Maher says her team will do their best to care for those who have experienced sexual assault.

"We are doing everything we can to try and get it right," she said. 

"The work is so meaningful and the impact that you have on the victims and survivors when you do it well is significant. It is life-changing for these people," she added.

"Sometimes all they need to know is that they're heard and that they're believed."