How do you catch a rapist?

Answer 1

You should never attempt to catch a rapist. That is the job for the police. You should never try to catch any criminal. Call your local police if you have any information on a rapist or criminal and let them handle it.



Expanded Answer:
While it's true that it is the job of the police and other authorities to catch criminals, all too often cases of rape and sexual assault are mishandled, swept under the rug, or victims/survivors are grossly mistreated by those who are supposed be protecting them.



Furthermore, there is a major problem among authorities and offices of authority in terms of one hand not telling the other what it's doing. This is a problem that often leads to lost evidence, lost information, only partial information getting to some offices and other partial information getting to other individuals who may or may not have the best intentions regarding investigation into a given case. How to catch a rapist:



1) DO NOT SHOWER - as awful as you feel, your first and best line of both offense and defense is physical evidence. All to often, the first thing we do when assaulted is shower. Profusely. Thus washing away what is often our only irrefutable proof of the crime: the evidence left in and on our bodies.



2) DO NOT WASH YOUR CLOTHES - same issue as above. Sometimes not as strong, but there is a definite possibility that biological evidence may be on your clothing. These items will need to be bagged in plastic and handed over to authorities when the time is right.



3) DO CONTACT A LOCAL RAPE CRISIS CENTER BEFORE CONTACTING POLICE. In some states, you have the right to a trained advocate by your side during any and all interviews, meetings, examinations, etc. This is extremely important - your advocate can help you take notes, help you through your physical examination, and help you to understand when your case is or is not being handled well. Your advocate will be able to think clearly at a time when you may not be able to. She will help you to make wise choices during this crisis that will lead toward catching the perpetrator.


4) DO GO WITH YOUR ADVOCATE TO A PHYSICAL EXAM. The purpose of this exam is to gather physical evidence, some of it biological, that could lead to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator. Without this evidence, chances of successfully catching the perpetrator are much lower. This experience will be extremely difficult and possibly even humiliating, however, it remains your best line of offense in trying to catch your attacker. This is one reason why having a trained advocate present at the time of the exam is so incredibly important.



5) After the physical exam, it is generally ok to shower, but be sure to ask medical staff if they've completed the examination before doing so.


6) After coordinating with your Advocate, DOREPORT THE ASSAULT WITHIN 72 HOURS IF POSSIBLE. If not possible within 72 hours, it's still advisable to make the report simply because the vast majority of women don't. Without a paper trail, nothing gets done in the land of bureaucracy. Because most perpetrators are known to the survivors, and because most perpetrators are serial offenders - and because most of their victims don't report the criminal act of rape and/or sexual assault, we have a terrible situation in our society where many perpetrators continually assault people, and continually get away with it without even so much as an ink spot on their nonexistent records.


7) Obtain a copy of your case file and keep it updated


8) As you remember more details, update ALL of the individuals involved in investigation. Don't assume these people are talking to each other - they're not. Like children, if you don't tell every single one of them, someone will miss an important piece of information.



9) Contact your closest friends, roommates, etc. Anyone who sees you on a regular or semi-regular basis. Ask them to write a journal of any changes in your behavior since the time of the rape. Even if you haven't disclosed the situation, ask for this help. The information they document can help prove that you've been through a traumatic situation


10) When ready, write down every detail of the event that you can recall. This is also extremely important. If you can detail the perpetrator's skin, scent, clothing, the location where it happened - especially if that location is his home - this proves that you've been there, and that can potentially help you later on.


11) DO BE READY TO DEAL WITH POOR TREATMENT BY SOME INDIVIDUALS WITHIN SYSTEMS OF AUTHORITY. For example, the answer originally left here on wiki for this question - the person who wrote that meant well, I'm certain. However, someone looking for information on how to catch a rapist is not likely to be having a very good day, to say the least, so casually saying something along the lines of, "just let it go and let someone else take care of it" really isn't helpful. Furthermore, it's invalidating and dis-empowering to those who have survived a sexual assault of any kind. Invalidating and dis-empowering survivors of sexual assault and/or rape is pretty much a one-way ticket to a special place in Hades as far as how to deal with this type of crisis is concerned.



Cases of rape and/or sexual assault are extremely difficult to prove, take a lot of time and resources, and require a lot of hard work and long term dedication to a subject matter that is very difficult for most of us to handle. Of course, cases of rape and/or sexual assault should require all of these things, but all too often, some individuals who are members of those authorities who are supposed to be helping us let things slide or even actively attempt to intimidate us out of pursuing our cases. This is yet another reason why having an advocate present with you at all times when in contact with authorities is sooooo important. She will be able to help you stick with it in the face of adversity. She will also be able to help you keep obnoxiousness at bay to a certain extent when dealing with authorities who have lost their concept of how difficult this type of crime is to survive in favor of cutting back on their own paperwork and/or serving their own psychological injuries for one reason or another.


12) DO get psychological counseling. Your mind is your best weapon in circumstances such as these, so take care of it. The faster you begin the process of psychological and emotional healing, the stronger you will be as your case moves forward. Consider this step armor as you continue to battle your way back to being okay, as well as your only line of defense against general b.s. you may have to deal with from difficult authority figures of many kinds. Furthermore, as you continue to heal, you'll discover who your true friends are. Because of the difficulty of the subject matter, and because of the extremely high numbers of women out there who have been assaulted but who have not reported it, you are very likely to be trusting several people who've already turned their backs on themselves in the same situation you're dealing with right now. Their self-denial will be far more powerful in their own minds than your reality is right now. The moment you feel them turning, just let them go. In order to do this, you have to have someone else to go to for support: your advocate, your therapist, and those who stand by you with your well-being as the first and foremost priority on this issue are the people you can trust.



13) Gather more information and evidence as you think of it, keep a journal - your emotional process of recovery is evidence. Take photographs of the perpetrator if he's still around you, and get ready to work with your Advocate and police officers to attempt to get a confession. This is another extremely important step - and without an Advocate, you may still be dealing with idiots rather than true police officers of integrity and skill: You may very well have to contact the perpetrator for the purpose of getting him to confess to what he's done to you - another reason to seriously work with an Advocate and a trained psychologist (not a psychiatrist - this isn't mental illness we're talking about, this is emotional, psychological injury). You're going to have to really use that mind to get a confession, and you're going to have to really listen and communicate well with the police working with you to do it. As disgusting as it sounds, the jerk may actually brag about it - good. Let him brag right into a recording device as you work with police to catch him. DO NOT try to record a confession without help from authorities - you may end up contaminating the evidence as there are very strict laws about the circumstances under which we can record people with or without their knowledge. The only situations in which this is doable at all are dictated State by State, and often involve environments where there are no reasonable expectations of privacy. The price for making a mistake is just too high: if your recording is deemed inadmissible in court, the confession is out of the case, and chances of getting a repeat performance from the perpetrator are pretty much nil.


14) Try to find the perpetrator's exes, talk to other women around him and/or from his past and see if they'll go on record about his past sexual assaults/rapes. Chances are very good that your perpetrator has been doing this for a very long time without ever being held accountable. If even one of his past victims steps up to the plate your chances of getting him convicted rise tremendously.



15) Remember: survival is the whole point.This brings me right back to your Advocate and your psychotherapist. They and your anger are the backbone of healing.

Answer 2

If you suspect someone of being a rapist, you should report it to the police immediately. They have the resources and training to investigate these types of crimes and apprehend the perpetrator. It's important to prioritize your safety and well-being when dealing with such a serious issue.