A new team is being formed by the Jefferson County district attorney’s office to strengthen rapid response to sexual assaults.
The Sexual Assault Rapid Response Team is funded by a Violence Against Women Act grant.
The team — consisting of a prosecutor, an investigator, a victim witness specialist and administrative support — will use research-based practices and enhanced collaboration to strengthen responses to sexual assault cases.
“Public safety and victim implications in felony sexual assault cases are enormous,” 1st Judicial District Attorney Pete Weir said in a news release. “We were determined to find the resources to tackle this issue. This culminates a year-long effort to bring this team to fruition.”
The grant funds a prosecution team assigned exclusively to adult felony sexual assault cases. The team is expected to handled about 80 cases in 2017.
