What is the purpose of a multidisciplinary team approach in sexual assault investigations?

• A. Replace police with prosecutors.
• B. Limit information sharing to defense.
• C. Ensure cross-agency collaboration among law enforcement, prosecutors, health care, and victim services for comprehensive support.
• D. Expedite cases by skipping victim services.

Answer: (C)

Working across disciplines means bringing together people from different areas—law enforcement, prosecutors, health care providers, forensic experts, and victim advocates—to collaborate from the start. This ensures the survivor receives comprehensive support and the investigation benefits from medical findings, forensic context, and legal planning all at once. The strength of this approach is that information can be shared appropriately to form a complete, accurate picture, medical care and trauma-informed advocacy are coordinated, and resources are aligned to reduce delays and gaps. This cross-agency teamwork prioritizes safety, minimizes retraumatization, and can improve both the survivor’s experience and the integrity of the case.

Approaches that replace police with prosecutors, limit information sharing to the defense, or skip victim services undermine the survivor-centered, evidence-informed process and can jeopardize safety and case quality.