Criminology Research Council grant ; (13/87)
This research aimed to examine the nature and extent of crime against people with intellectual disabilities, the difficulties which they confronted within the criminal justice system when they tried to take action following such crimes, and their experiences as witnesses or victims in court. An extensive consultation was carried out with people with intellectual disabilities, within the criminal justice system. Case studies and agency reports were also employed with those who work with them, and with officials.
The research revealed a lack of recorded information about the nature and extent of crime against people with intellectual disabilities, but found that offences against them occurred in all of the situations in which they lived. Results from the research suggested strongly that people with intellectual disabilities were particularly vulnerable to sexual offences and to physical abuse.
The report recommended changes to living situations including rights of education for people with intellectual disabilities; the development of advocacy (including self-advocacy); and better guidelines for dealing with crimes for staff employed in working with people with intellectual disabilities.
The research found that many crimes against people with intellectual disabilities go unreported because of fear and bad previous experiences by the victims; discouragement from workers; and lack of information about rights. Lack of clear guidelines for workers in dealing with offences against people with intellectual disabilities proved to be one major reason for non-reporting.
The researchers found that even when crimes were reported, the victims were often not heard. Police, lawyers and the courts were not readily accessible to people with intellectual disabilities. Ignorance and lack of skills by workers within the criminal justice system and the inflexibility of structures and processes within the system contributed to this inaccessibility.
Few reported offences actually ended up in court, and when they did the researchers found that people with intellectual disabilities were severely disadvantaged by the court process.
The recommendations in the report focus on the need to develop more flexible and accessible structures and processes within the criminal justice system, to increase the knowledge of workers about intellectual disability and to increase the knowledge of people with intellectual disabilities about their rights.