Proving rape – from police report to verdict
Short description
The aim of the project is to investigate why so few reported rapes lead to prosecution and conviction, with a focus on how investigations and evidence are handled within the Swedish judicial system. Despite legal reforms and increased resources, the number of prosecutions and convictions remains low. Previous research has focused on the dynamics in the courtroom, while the investigation phase – especially the daily work of the professionals involved – has been under-researched.
About the research
Based on feminist legal theory, legal sociology, and emotions in the legal system, the project examines how evidence is produced, interpreted, and evaluated in rape investigations.
Three sub-studies examine:
(1) how the consent-based rape legislation from 2018 has affected investigation and evidence practices;
(2) how healthcare personnel, police officers, and prosecutors investigate rape cases and collaborate across professional boundaries; and
(3) what types of evidence are found in cases that lead to prosecution and conviction.
The project combines ethnographic fieldwork, interviews and focus groups with computerised text analysis of approximately 2,500 rape convictions. It is the first study to systematically examine how the 2018 reform has affected preliminary investigations in rape cases. Through a new interdisciplinary approach and mixed methods, the project contributes new knowledge about how structural and cultural factors shape the production of evidence and thereby contribute to better practices and increased justice in rape cases.
The project builds on the previous research project: Rape or consent? Effects of the new rape legislation on legal reasoning and practice
Participating researchers
Sara Uhnoo, Associate Professor of Sociology at the Department of Sociology and Work Science
Åsa Wettergren, Professor of Sociology at the Department of Sociology and Work Science
Moa Bladini, Associate Professor of Criminal Law at the Department of Law