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Box preserves forensic evidence vital for legal cases


July 13, 2006
Evidence seal from sexual assault kit
Bolivian sexual-violence survivors and law enforcement will both benefit from a new evidence collection and storage box, which is sealed by this tamper-proof sticker.

What looks like a simple cardboard box represents a major step forward in making sure that victims of sexual assault get a fairer shake in the Bolivian legal system.

The containers are actually collection and storage kits for evidence in sexual assault cases.

Ipas Bolivia and partner Marie Stopes Bolivia have recently delivered 400 of these nondescript boxes to the Bolivian Public Ministry (roughly equivalent to an Attorney General’s Office, it’s the department that oversees the national Institute for Forensic Investigation). They will be sent to six municipalities with high rates of sexual violence: Caranivi, Cobija, Padilla, Quillacollo, Riberalta and Warnes. 

The purpose of these boxes is to better protect evidence between the collection and analysis phases of an investigation. Previous problems in securing and preserving evidence — which might be clothing or fibers, soil samples or any traces of an offender — meant that sexual-violence survivors who pressed charges would often find themselves in court with little or no proof of the crime.

Eliana Del Pozo, director of Ipas Bolivia, said: “There was really no official place to put or protect evidence before this project. Things got lost a lot, and the women had to repeat their stories time and time again, until someone would believe them. But there was no evidence to support them.

“[Law enforcement] would use whatever was available to hold evidence, and things would often disappear or be compromised. For this reason, the women could rarely follow through with any legal action, and they would get tired of the fight and abandon it. As a result, many, many men were left free. And, on top of that, forensic medical professionals couldn’t do much for the women — even if they wanted to.”

To prevent evidence tampering, the box has a special sticker that signals whether its seal has been broken. It was also designed to withstand different types of weather or climate conditions, a key factor in storing genetic material. The boxes ensure that evidence is protected over time; in Bolivia, said Del Pozo, judicial processes can take up to five years before an offender is sentenced.

Ipas Bolivia is concerned that, despite this advance in dealing with evidence, there may not be enough government funds to actually analyze it. It’s possible that only victims who can pay for the tests would have access to forensic expertise that could make or break their legal cases.

In Bolivia, as in many other nations, sexual assault is a widespread but vastly underreported problem. According to the 2002 U.S. State Department human rights report on the country, “only 3 percent of complaints received by the [Bolivian] Public Ministry were for rape.”

In Bolivia, as in many countries, it’s hard to get good statistics on sexual violence. Women may report physical abuse, but remain silent about sexual violence, so that official figures underestimate its prevalence. Then, many women hesitate to approach the law enforcement system for fear of poor treatment or accusations that focus on their behavior — not the attacker’s.

Based on a similar container that’s used in Toronto, Canada, the evidence boxes are part of Ipas Bolivia’s initiative to provide comprehensive care for sexual-violence victims. The project is funded by the British Department for International Development (DFID) Civil Society Challenge Fund.

As part of the project’s multipronged approach, Ipas Bolivia has also created a form for registering sexual-assault cases. It will be used in the same regions as the evidence-collection boxes.

For more information, contact:
Kirsten Sherk
Senior Associate, Media Relations
e-mail: sherkk@ipas.org
phone: 919.960.5612
fax: 919.929.0258