Commission on the Standardization of the Collection of Evidence in Sexual Assault Investigations

The Commission on the Standardization of the Collection of Evidence in Sexual Assault Investigations was established pursuant to Public Act 88-210, an Act Concerning Collection of Evidence in Sex Offense Crimes.

The law directed the Commission to develop a standardized kit to be utilized for the collection of evidence from victims of sexual assault and to recommend a protocol for health care professionals to follow in the collection of such evidence.

In 1993, Public Act 93-340 expanded the Commission from its original membership of 11 to the current membership of 14. Drawn from the legal, law enforcement, health care and victim services fields, the membership represents a multi-disciplinary approach to fulfilling the Commission's mission. 

The Commission has designed a comprehensive program for the collection of evidence in sexual assault cases. This includes a customized kit to be utilized in the evidence collection process, replacing the original kit, as well as the development of standardized forms for use by all health care facilities involved in evidence collection.

The Commission has adopted the State of Connecticut Technical Guidelines for Health Care Response to Victims of Sexual Assault, which replaced the hospital protocol put in place following the 1988 legislation. A further development was the establishment of a uniform video training program and the adoption of procedures providing for payment to health care facilities for their evidence collection activities. A standing subcommittee is also in place to review the guidelines on an annual basis and make recommendations to the full Commission for revisions.

The Commission operates independently of any state agency or department. It was originally placed within the state Department of Health for administrative purposes only. Public Act 93-340 transferred the Commission to the Division of Criminal Justice, again for administrative purposes only.