Memorandum aims to improve universities’ response to sexual assault cases

University of California President Janet Napolitano and California Attorney General Kamala Harris established guidelines Wednesday for California universities and their local law enforcement agencies that aim to improve coordination and transparency in response to sexual assault cases.

The Office of the Attorney General, the UC Office of the President, district attorney offices and police departments collaborated to establish the memorandum of understanding, an agreement between parties involved.

The memorandum outlines duties following a sexual assault for all stages of the process. It aims to respect survivors’ privacy while collecting necessary information, by providing victims with access to rape kits, requiring all rape kits to be tested and mandating training for both campus communities and law enforcement organizations.

Legislation passed last year requires campuses to report cases of sexual assault to local law enforcement officials, said a spokesperson from the attorney general’s office. The template established today should be used as a guide for campuses without comprehensive systems in place, she added.

At UCLA, survivors of sexual assault are asked to report the incident through two separate processes, one involving university officials and the other involving law enforcement officials, said Savannah Badalich, founder of 7000 in Solidarity, a campaign against sexual assault at UCLA. Each process consists of several interviews.

The memorandum recommends campus officials and law enforcement officers meet with survivors together, to simplify the process. Survivors can still decide whether to file charges.

“It was very confusing for survivors,” Badalich said. “Instead of each party having different responses to achieve the same goal, now everyone is on the same page.”

Law enforcement and university officials also support the suggested guidelines.

“This tool kit gives us steps we can take to connect important resources as we pursue justice and work to eliminate this national problem,” said UCPD Chief James D. Herren in an email statement.

Napolitano said in a press release that she hopes the collaboration will help build trust and hold perpetrators accountable for sexual violence and assault.