Individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) are the most likely victims of sexual assault. To be effective advocates, attorneys must be properly trained to interview and depose this survivor population.
Even before a sexual assault becomes a “case”, many reporting hurdles face these survivors:
- Even if these survivors are capable of making a report, their credibility may be questioned simply because of their disability.
- If the survivor is living exclusively with a community caregiver who may also be the perpetrator, there may be limited opportunities to make a report. Indeed, survivors may be putting themselves at risk by even attempting to report.
- The person taking the report may not have the necessary skills to conduct the interview correctly.
