Citation

Parnis D, Mont JD. Can. Rev. Sociol. Anthropol. 2006; 43(1): 73-93.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, University of Toronto Press)

DOI

10.1111/j.1755-618X.2006.tb00855.x

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Across many jurisdictions, the medico-legal response to rape is centred on the use of what is commonly known as a "rape kit." These are administered by health professionals to sexually assaulted women for the purpose of collecting corroborating evidence from their bodies. The assumption is that the use of this kit can lead to the production of technical facts about the truth of a woman's allegation. We drew on data from survey, interview and focus group research with sexual assault professionals in Ontario to explore how dominant societal and narrow profession-specific values and interpretations may be intertwined with the regularized use of the provincial Sexual Assault Evidence Kit.