Walsh Wendy A, Lippert Tonya, Cross Theodore P, Maurice Danielle M, Davison Karen S
Crimes against Children Research Center, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA.
Child Maltreat. 2008 Feb;13(1):3-13. doi: 10.1177/1077559507307839.
This article explores the length of time between key events in the criminal prosecution of child sexual abuse cases (charging decision, case resolution process, and total case-processing time), which previous research suggests is related to victims' recovery. The sample included 160 cases in three communities served by the Dallas County District Attorney. Most cases (69%) took at least 60 days for the charging decision, with cases investigated at the Children's Advocacy Center having a quicker time than either comparison community. Only 20% of cases had a case resolution time within the 180-day target suggested by the American Bar Association standard for felonies. Controlling for case characteristics, one of the three communities and cases with an initial arrest had a significantly quicker case resolution time. Total case processing generally took more than 2 years. Implications include the need to better monitor and shorten case resolution time.
本文探讨了儿童性虐待案件刑事诉讼中关键事件之间的时间长度（指控决定、案件解决过程和案件总处理时间），先前的研究表明这与受害者的康复有关。样本包括达拉斯县地方检察官服务的三个社区的160起案件。大多数案件（69%）做出指控决定至少需要60天，在儿童权益中心进行调查的案件比其他两个对比社区的案件处理时间更快。只有20%的案件在重罪的美国律师协会标准建议的180天目标内完成案件解决。在控制案件特征后，三个社区之一以及最初被捕的案件的案件解决时间明显更快。案件总处理时间一般超过两年。这意味着需要更好地监测和缩短案件解决时间。
