Justice Process – Investigation

The purpose of the police investigation is to gather evidence to determine if a crime has been committed and if so, the identity of the person or people who are responsible.  The police have a responsibility to get as much information about the offence as possible.

The police investigation following the report of a crime will follow specific procedures that are set out by the police force involved.

• Investigator will interview the Complainant (the person reporting the crime) and all other persons who may have knowledge about the incident
• Investigator will interview the person accused of committing the crime where possible
• Investigator will try to gather as much evidence as possible from the scene of the crime
• Investigators should be made aware of any items or documents that might be of help to the police investigation as soon as possible such as a weapon

After reporting to police, the complainant/victim of crimes such as a sexual assault may be:

• Interviewed by a specially trained investigator
• With the consent of the victim, the interview will take place at the police station or police facility and videotaped
• In some provinces/territories the complainant can request to be interviewed by an officer of a particular gender.  This will be arranged where possible

The victim of a sexual assault also becomes a part of the crime scene.  Ideally, the police will be able to obtain evidence from the victim.  This can be done with the help of doctors and nurses at a hospital emergency department or a Sexual Assault Care Centre.  Evidence gathered at the hospital may include:

• Making notes about any injuries
• Taking photographs of injuries
• Collecting physical evidence such as the clothes and medical evidence

When a crime involves a child, the police must report this to an agency that is responsible for protecting children, such as the Children’s Aid Society (CAS).  A worker from the CAS may be present when a child is interviewed.