Tools for the Criminal Legal System

Victim/Suspect reveals how flawed investigative practices can retraumatize survivors and derail justice. These resources are for anyone working in policing, prosecution, or forensic care who wants to improve the institutional response to sexual assault. Use key scenes from the film to spark training and discussion, explore real-world models for trauma-informed interviewing, and dig into tools that support better investigations.

Host a Screening

Host a screening of Victim/Suspect using the discussion guide, which contains sections on Policing and Sexual Assault. The discussion guide can help spark conversation and prompt reflection on law enforcement practices

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Learn about Trauma Informed Sexual Assault Investigation

Trauma informed sexual assault investigation involves understanding the effect of trauma on memory and victim behavior and prioritizing the victim’s well being while conducting a thorough and unbiased investigation. Access resources to learn about trauma informed sexual assault investigations and Strategies for Trauma Informed Victim Interviewing via IACP.

Host a Training + Review Interrogations

Host a trauma informed sexual assault investigation training using Victim/Suspect. Explore the disparity between the interrogations of Megan Rondini, the victim, and TJ Bunn, the suspect in the interrogation scenes from Victim/Suspect. These clips are being used to train police officers about trauma-informed interviewing in NH, IL and TX.

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Forensic Nurses as Advocates

Watch the Victim/ Suspect Academy of Forensic Nurses webinar to learn about the importance of forensic nurses as advocates for survivors of sexual assault

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Share Information

Distribute this palm card about best practices for officers making sexual assault incident reports.

 

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Sexual Assault Kits

Learn about effective and timely processing of sexual assault kits from the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative.

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False Reporting

Learn about the factors that contribute to false reporting charges and the hallmarks of a ‘real’ false report in this report from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.

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For Prosecutors

Review model policies for prosecuting sexual assault cases from Aequitas.

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Thematic Discussion Questions: Covers sexual assault, policing, journalism, trauma, and victim-blaming.

Myth-Busting: Clarifies common rape myths and how they distort public and institutional responses.

Educational Resources: Includes links to survivor toolkits, legal rights, and trauma-informed support networks.

When Victims Become Suspects

Developed for screenings of the documentary Victim/Suspect and conversations that follow, our discussion guide equips audiences with tools to confront the troubling reality of sexual assault survivors being criminalized after reporting. Featuring thematic questions, background on rape myths, and strategies for trauma-informed conversation, it’s designed to foster honest dialogue, challenge harmful biases, and support systemic change in policing, journalism, and advocacy.

Note: We invite you to provide your name and email address, which will help us measure the impact of Victim/Suspect. However, you aren’t required to provide those details to access the guide.