ExAMINING THE fACTORS Many investigations of suspected crimes do not result in convictions because law enforcement agencies do not refer every case to prosecutors and prosecutors do not pursue every case, often due to inadequate evidence. Of those cases that are prosecuted, many fail to reach a finding of guilt. This research shows that SANE programs resulted in more cases progressing further: ■ The number of cases referred to prosecutors but not warranted for prosecution declined from 17 percent to 15 percent. ■ Cases resulting in guilty pleas or trial convictions rose from 24 percent to 29 percent. Advances in DNA testing technology mean that much smaller samples can yield results. This may have increased the rates of conclusive DNA evidence obtained by SANE programs. When the research team examined this possibility, it found that while DNA was a significant predictor of case progression through the criminal justice system, SANE programs still provided uniquely positive contributions to the outcomes of cases. Other factors also influenced case progression: ■ Cases involving penetration were more likely to progress than those involving fondling. ■ Cases where the victim reported being under the influence of alcohol or drugs were less likely to progress. ■ Some seasonal variations arose from the analysis. Cases processed in December were less likely to progress as far through the criminal justice system as those cases processed in other months. 16 NIJ JourNal / Issue No. 264 ▼The International Association of Forensic Nurses provides technical help on carrying out the protocol. Please see http://www.safeta.org or call 877-819-SART. ▼A toolkit for evaluating the effectiveness of SANE programs is at http://www.ncjrs. gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/226499.pdf. ▼The National Training Standards for Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examiners is a companion to the national protocol. It offers specialized education for health care providers who wish to practice as sexual assault forensic examiners. The training standards include recommendations for training objectives and topics that will enable a sexual assault forensic examiner to carry out the guidelines outlined by the protocol. ▼The Department of Justice’s National Protocol for Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examinations provides details on the roles of responders to sexual assault as part of a coordinated community response. The protocol was developed with help from relevant disciplines, such as medical providers, law enforcement, prosecutors, advocates and crime lab personnel. ▼A comprehensive and inexpensive training tool is helping advance skills in collecting sexual assault forensic evidence and preparing it for trial. It was developed by the Office on Violence Against Women in partnership with the National Institute of Justice and Dartmouth Medical School. The Sexual Assault — Forensic and Clinical Management virtual practicum DVD takes viewers through an interactive virtual forensic facility where distinguished faculty, practitioners and legal experts explain the process from first meeting through pretrial to courtroom. ■ More information is available at http://www.safeta.org. ■ Read an NIJ Journal article on the virtual practicum: Occupational Injury and Fatality Investigations: The Application of Forensic Nursing Science Colin Harris, MSN, BSc(Crim), RN, F-ABMDI ABSTRACT The forensic evaluation of trauma in occupational injuries and fatalities can provide the benefit of a more thorough analysis of incident causation. Forensic nursing science applied during workplace investigations can assist investigators to determine otherwise unknown crucial aspects of the incident circumstances that are important to event reconstruction, the enforcement of occupational health and safety requirements, and the direction of workplace prevention initiatives. Currently, a medical and forensic medical knowledge gap exists in the subject-matter expertise associated with occupational accident investigations. This gap can be bridged with the integration of forensic nursing in the investigation of workplace fatalities and serious injuries. KEY WORDS: death investigation; forensic; forensic nursing; injury interpretation; occupational accident investigation; occupational injuries; trauma evaluation T he International Labour Organization (ILO) and the World Health Organization estimate that 1.2 million work-related deaths and 250 million accidents occur worldwide each year. Around 4% of the world’s gross domestic product is lost through various direct and indirect costs of occupational accidents, including compensation, medical expenses, property damage, lost earnings, and replacement training (ILO, 2002). In Canada (population: 34.7 million), approximately three occupational fatalities occurred each day of the year in 2008, and workers’ compensation boards paid $7.67 billion in benefits for time-loss injuries or fatalities and $2.03 billion for healthcare and vocational rehabilitation (Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, 2008). Including these costs, the total direct annual costs of occupational injuries and fatalities to the Canadian economy were approximately $7 billion (Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, 2008). An occupational accident is defined as an unexpected and unplanned event arising out of or in connection with work,