Investigative Interview with Emily
In this simulation, Emily – a trans woman survivor – is interviewed by Detective Mike Crumrine who demonstrates a skillful, trauma-informed approach to interviewing transgender survivors of sexual assault.
The simulation is part of the Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Exam (SAMFE) Virtual Practicum, an interactive training that teaches each step of the medical forensic exam. Download the Virtual Practicum to view an additional simulation with a health care provider demonstrating how to develop rapport and take a medical history with a survivor who is a trans man.
Full Interview
Below is Emily’s full interview with Detective Mike Crumrine (2 hours 4 minutes). Emily’s part is played by an actor. The advocate is Jackie Garrett.
Selected Interview Clips
We also feature selected clips from the interview, demonstrating specific training points.
1. Addressing Misgendering and Repairing the Relationship (7m 10s)
3. When it Turned from Consensual to Rape (4m 31s)
5. Emily Describes Assault. “Do You Want to Take a Break?”(4m)
7. “What Happened to You Is Not Your Fault” (37s)
9. “This Isn’t on You” (1m 30s)
2. How the Perpetrator Gains Emily’s Trust and Sets the Stage (6m 10s)
4. “This Is a Safe Place” (1m 52s)
6. Explanation of Investigative Process (4m 8s)
8. Next Steps (1m 34s)
Interview Debriefing with Emily
In a debriefing session following the interview, Emily (played by an actor) offers insights based on her experience during the interview and as a trans woman.
1. Asking About Vaginal Injury (1m 56s)
4. Not Treated like a “Curious Object” (3m 23s)
7. Managing Your Uncomfortable Feeling (2m 59s)
2. Have a Clear Purpose for Questions (1m 39s)
5. “There Is No ‘Fully Transitioned.’” (2m 3s)
3. Detective Self Disclosure, Identifying Safe People (4m 19s)
6. “Do I Matter Here?” (1m 18s)
EVAWI Resources
EVAWI offers a number of training resources to assist law enforcement investigators conducting high-quality interviews with sexual assault survivors.
Online Training Institute (OLTI) Modules
- Effective Victim Interviewing: Helping Victims Retrieve and Disclose Memories of Sexual Assault
- Effective Report Writing: Using the Language of Non-Consensual Sex
Training Bulletins
- Becoming Trauma-Informed: Learning and Appropriately Applying the Neurobiology of Trauma to Victim Interviews
- Improving Responses to Sexual Assault Disclosures: Both Informal and Formal Support Providers
- Trauma-Informed Interviewing and the Criminal Sexual Assault Case: Where Investigative Technique Meets Evidentiary Value
- Understanding the Neurobiology of Trauma and Implications for Interviewing Victims
More From the Learning Resource Room
Other resources in the Virtual Practicum’s Learning Resource Room also provide training in this area, further improving services provided to trans survivors of sexual assault and other violence.
- FORGE (A national organization empowering trans individuals and working to end violence)
- “How Can We Do This Better?” Caring for Transgender Survivors (Webinar)
- How Can We Improve the Criminal Justice System Response for Transgender Victims? (Webinar)
- Care, compassion, and creativity: Trans survivors and forensic exams (Webinar)
- Police Interaction with Transgender and Gender Non-Binary Individuals: San Diego Police Department Procedure (Protocol)
- Self-Assessment Tool: “Is Your Agency Ready to Serve Transgender and Non-Binary Clients?” (Tools and Templates)
This project is supported by Grant No. 15JOVW-22-GK-00265-ICJR awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this program are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Justice.