Reporting a crime 4 months later

TheZenofLinda said:

You guys were so helpful with my last question, and I think this one is easier. My character goes to the police station to report that he'd been tortured (four months earlier). Would the police take pictures of his feet and hands as evidence for their records?
Also, would they ask why he didn't come in sooner to report the crime?
thanks!
Linda

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The short answer is yes and yes. We'd be super suspicious of someone who didn't report being tortured for four months. And we'd take photos to show any scarring or residual injuries (or the lack thereof).

We would still take a report and investigate, but we would be highly skeptical due to the lack of report. If the person has serious scarring or injuries, we would take it a little more seriously.

I completely agree with Soccer Mom.

I'd be very suspicious of someone who waited 4 months to report a crime. I'd want to know if any medical treatment was given and if I could get records, and I'd want to speak to witnesses. Of course, I'd also wonder if it was really as serious as they said if they waited four months to tell anyone, barring any clear conclusory evidence.

I'll let you know in 3 months and 29 days.

Oh wait, did you mean a crime someone else committed?

Hmm, disregard what I said.

mollyluna said:

I wouldn't be that suspicious. Many rape victims are afraid to report it. Then, when the rapist starts lurking around again, trying to have another go at them, they run like the dickens straight to the police station. It's not that far-fetched or suspicious. It's human nature. May police are trained to be suspicious.

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This was my thought as well, that while it might be considered suspicious it would still be investigated, but with a keener eye towards why the delay. What happened to make them come forward now? Was there a threat or a danger, is there a new threat or danger, is the person trying to manipulate the system or cover their own tracks about something else entirely... it opens the door to lots of possibilities. My experience is that when something is reported to the police, the file is opened and it is looked into, no matter how ridiculous or frivolous it might seem to the person who catches the file. I handed a file to one investigator because an older woman in the community reported that some carrots had been stolen from her garden -- three carrots to be exact, because she counted them at night (she was sure someone was robbing her). We didn't take casts of footprints or fingerprint the surrounding carrots like she wanted us to, but we still opened the file and went to look, and then increased patrols around her house for a couple days. (yes, we solved it -- it was her son who took the three carrots, and no charges were laid).

mollyluna said:

I wouldn't be that suspicious. Many rape victims are afraid to report it. Then, when the rapist starts lurking around again, trying to have another go at them, they run like the dickens straight to the police station. It's not that far-fetched or suspicious. It's human nature. Maybe police are trained to be suspicious.

If you were on a blind date and your date went wacko and took you hostage for a while, you'd feel pretty stupid for letting it happen, even though it's not your fault. And, if by coincidence, you ran into him or someone who looked like him four months down the road, you'd run straight to the police or move. I've had several stalkers. We've moved a few times.

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The late reporting wouldn't stop me from prosecuting, but it would certainly raise a lot of flags I would want answers to before I did. I completely understand the self-blame that victims go through, and the trauma of realizing you have a stalker. On the other hand, waiting really limits the evidence available for trial. Juries really want explanations if they don't have evidence, so I'm gonna ask before I go forward. These are good reasons. So many reasons I see are not good reasons for a delay of four months, and would have me hesitating to go forward. That doesn't mean I can prove it, even if there is a good reason. That's a whole other animal.

Person doesn't go for 4 mo. to report torture to police: why now? Has the perp left the city/country? Does the vic now have paper evidence or something other than their word and scars that could be from anything? Had there been a threat to the vic's family-tell and we'll kill them, or conversely, the perp has had the vic's family killed and there's nothing left to lose?