This case study from Australia will examine the sexual assault investigation of a twelve-year-old girl as she walked on a bush track on the way to school in May 2017. She was attacked by an offender in a "ghillie suit" and armed with a hunting knife. The crime remained unsolved for several months until a report was received from a different girl concerning grooming behavior and indecent assault offenses committed against her. The investigation of that report led investigators to the offender who was arrested and convicted for the assault of the twelve-year-old girl. The presenter will detail the investigation in depth, including how the niece of the offender was not believed by her family members and her initial disclosure was insufficient for police to proceed. There were several lessons learned during the investigation and ultimately the matter was resolved due to the outstanding efforts of investigators who located significant evidence on a mobile phone belonging to the offender while investigating the offenses against his niece that ultimately identified him as the "ghillie suit" offender.
Learning Objectives:
The importance of victim interviews and working with external agencies who are dealing with victims and their families
Crime scene examinations and investigation - the examination of the crime scene and later the search warrant proved crucial
The importance of working with external agencies - this investigation sought and obtained assistance from other agencies including interstate Police and the FBI
