Report: Sex offense victims in King County may be harmed by gaps in the system

KING COUNTY, Wash. — A new report from the King County Auditor’s Office highlights gaps in how the King County Sheriff’s Office and King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office handle sex offense cases when it comes to getting victims important services and resources.

The report also takes a look at the 2571 sex offenses reported to the sheriff’s office from 2015 to mid-2018, and drills down on just how many of them are assigned to a detective, sent to prosecutors, filed, and eventually lead to a conviction.

“I appreciate our relationship with King County prosecutors and the sheriff,” King County Sexual Assault Resource Center Executive Director Mary-Ellen Stone said, “and I want to say with all due respect, it should not take an audit to get this information out in public. This is long overdue.”

Linzi Sheldon dug into the report and the process and training gaps it highlights, including a hand-out for victims that “isn’t consistently provided” to them and is “difficult to follow.”

View the report here.

Cox Media Group