Third Party Reporting of Sexual Assault: The British Columbia Protocol
Sexual assault is a serious crime often resulting in major physical or psychological injury. Under-reporting of sexual offences remains a critical issue. It is important to remember that with a sexual assault, as with any violence offence, police can play a critical role in assessing risk and protecting the survivor and other potential victims from further violence. To help police protect potential victims, every effort must be made to encourage reporting of these crimes particularly in high risk cases, or cases involving serial offenders or sexual predators. In British Columbia, Third Party Reporting (TPR) of sexual assault is a process which allows adult survivors (19 and over) to access support and to report details of a sexual offence/assault to police anonymously, through a Community Based Victim Services Program (CBVS).
TPR is an option of last resort for survivors who would not otherwise provide information to the police. It is not a substitute for a call to 911, nor is it in and of itself a police investigation. It is not to be used when the survivor or others are at risk of further violence. TPR connects survivors to specialized supports, gives survivors needed time to decide if and when they are ready to engage the criminal justice system, and provides police with critical information about sex crime patterns within and across police jurisdictions.
The BC TPR protocol is led by EVA BC’s Community Coordination for Women’s Safety (CCWS) program, which supports CBVS and police to develop local interagency protocols and to implement and maintain the TPR protocol. The TPR Protocol is guided by a provincial TPR Work Team comprised of EVA BC/CCWS, BC Association of Chiefs of Police, RCMP “E” Division, Vancouver Police Department Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Unit, BC Association of Municipal Chiefs of Police, and BC Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General.
Resources
BC Third Party Reporting Work Team Updates
Third Party Reporting Webinar – The BC Protocol
This January 2019 webinar provides a history and overview of the British Columbia Third Party Reporting (TPR) Protocol and key elements of local implementation, as well as 2017 and 2018 updates to the BC TPR protocol. This 2-hour TPR Webinar is the most recent update in a series presented by the BC TPR Work Team over the last several years. The content is geared toward BC service providers facilitating TPR or making referrals to the TPR process. The webinar was hosted by the provincial TPR Work Team, which is led by the Ending Violence Association of BC’s Community Coordination for Women’s Safety program. Work Team members include the BC Association of Chiefs of Police, RCMP “E” Division, Vancouver Police Department Sex Crimes Unit, BC Association of Municipal Chiefs of Police, and the BC Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General.
Third Party Reporting Cover Sheet and Form
For original/individual versions of the Third Party Reporting Cover Sheet and Form, as well as other support regarding Third Party Reporting contact CCWS by email at ccws@endingviolence.org or phone 604.633.2506 ext 15.
Third Party Reporting Guidebook 2.0: Increasing Reporting Options for Sexual Assault Survivors, July 2019
The BC Third Party Reporting (TPR) Work Team is pleased to announce the 2019 enhanced BC TPR Protocol, and the release of the Third Party Reporting Guidebook 2.0: Increasing Reporting Options for Sexual Assault Survivors, (“TPR Guidebook 2.0”). The TPR Guidebook 2.0 contains comprehensive information about the Third Party Reporting Protocol in BC, and reflects TPR Protocol enhancements since the release of the first edition of the TPR Guidebook in 2015. The TPR Guidebook includes police protocol guidelines and action map, CBVS protocol guidelines and action map, a sample cover sheet and form, and a local interagency protocol template. This resource was developed and updated by the TPR Work Team to increase the implementation and effectiveness of the TPR protocol across BC.
TPR Local Interagency Protocol Development Checklist
This document is intended to assist with local interagency protocol development for Third Party Reporting of sexual assault in British Columbia. It is to be used in conjunction with the comprehensive CCWS publication, Third Party Reporting Guidebook 2.0: Increasing Reporting Options for Sexual Assault Survivors, July 2019
TPR Local Interagency Protocol Template
To implement TPR locally, CBVS and police need to negotiate local agreements incorporating the steps and procedures contained in the Police and CBVS Provincial Protocol Guidelines. A local TPR protocol template can be used as the basis for local interagency agreements regarding roles and responsibilities with respect to TPR.
March 2017 TPR Protocol Enhancement
To ensure consistency of response and collection of data, BC’s police services reached an agreement with Community Coordination for Women’s safety to enhance the current TPR provincial protocol. BC RCMP Crime Prevention Services (CPS) is now acting as a liaison with RCMP detachments and municipal police departments to support their efforts to investigate these incidents, and to ensure consistent attention to Third Party Reports and related policing issues. This liaison position is also improving the ability of police services to review TPRs from across the province to identify linkages between investigations of sexual assaults within and across police jurisdictions. This document describes the enhancement to the protocol, one of several initiatives the provincial TPR Work Team is engaged in to increase the availability of this important reporting option across the province.
TPR for Survivors Under 19
While the BC TPR Protocol is intentionally focussed on adults aged 19 and over, it does not preclude consideration of the possibility of TPR in exceptional cases for younger survivors. TPR for survivors under 19 is possible, but the process needs to be worked out at the local level between Community-Based Victim Services (CBVS) and police on a case-by-case discretionary basis. This document outlines a number of factors that need to be taken into account in exercising this discretion.