Misty Luminais, Rachel Lovell, Maggie McGuire, Joanna Klingenstein, Angela Kavadas and Laura Overman, all researchers at the Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research and Education, wrote a piece about the impact of victim advocacy integration on cold case investigations by the Cuyahoga County Sexual Assault Kit Task Force. The authors found a shift toward victim-centeredness in the task force, as well as increased victim engagement in the investigative and prosecutorial processes.
Recommendations for other multi-disciplinary teams considering integrating victim advocates also are addressed in the research brief.