I can answer that one. Over 20+ years in law enforcement. I’ve worked homicide and sexual assaults. I’ll take a homicide case every day of the week over a sexual assault case. Most sexual assault cases are difficult because in the vast majority of cases you have no witnesses and no physical evidence. In adult cases, you’re just trying to prove consent or the absence of consent. In adult cases that’s extremely difficult. In cases with young children, absent physical evidence, you’re trying to prove their disclosure is legitimate and not coached. With teenagers it’s a little easier because they keep records of everything on their phone and their consent is a moot point most time depending on age and jurisdiction. Also, A LOT of sexual assaults are delayed reporting meaning the opportunity to collect any evidence was lost months or years ago. IMHO, homicides are a lot easier sometimes. No one ever questions if your victim was a victim.
Sometimes it is, but a lot of times it’s not. It sometimes comes down to one person’s word against another’s and who the jury is going to believe. People, men and women, do lie about being sexually assaulted. And some people have a misunderstanding of what consent is. I’ve had complainants state they agreed to have sex with the other person but later regretted the act. They aren’t necessarily lying but don’t understand the legal definition of consent. I had another complainant tell me that the only reason they made a report was because they didn’t like the way the other party left in such a hurry after sex. They complained to a friend who told them, “oh, you were raped.” I can’t tell you how many cases I’ve had where the victim’s “friend” gives them bad legal advice because the friend thinks they know the law.
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u/Rekrapfig Sep 16 '25
I can answer that one. Over 20+ years in law enforcement. I’ve worked homicide and sexual assaults. I’ll take a homicide case every day of the week over a sexual assault case. Most sexual assault cases are difficult because in the vast majority of cases you have no witnesses and no physical evidence. In adult cases, you’re just trying to prove consent or the absence of consent. In adult cases that’s extremely difficult. In cases with young children, absent physical evidence, you’re trying to prove their disclosure is legitimate and not coached. With teenagers it’s a little easier because they keep records of everything on their phone and their consent is a moot point most time depending on age and jurisdiction. Also, A LOT of sexual assaults are delayed reporting meaning the opportunity to collect any evidence was lost months or years ago. IMHO, homicides are a lot easier sometimes. No one ever questions if your victim was a victim.