DOJ HELPS SUPPORT TRAINING OF WOMEN PROSECUTORS, INVESTIGATORS IN PAKISTAN

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

Joint Training for Pakistani Women Prosecutors and Investigators

Officials from INL and the Department of Justice, in conjunction with the Women’s Police Support Program, conducted the first ever joint training for female prosecutors and police investigators in the history of Pakistan. The Women Police-Prosecutor Conference, held in Karachi on November 19-21, brought together police investigators and female prosecutors from Karachi and interior Sindh Province to receive specialized training from Pakistani and American experts in forensics, interview techniques, trial preparation, and crime scene analysis.

Speaking at the conclusion of the seminar, U.S. Consul General in Karachi Michael Dodman praised the participants with the following statement: “Female police officers and prosecutors face unique challenges, and I admire the courage and professionalism that you display every day in facing those challenges to pursue justice in your communities. I hope that the skills you learned in this first-ever joint prosecutor and investigator training for women in Pakistan will give you additional tools for success as you pursue your important work.”
The training seminar format presented the participants with a simulated crime and then asked them as a group to evaluate the crime scene, select the best investigative techniques, and develop a case for effective presentation in court. In addition, the women received instruction from Pakistani and American experts on case evaluation, police-prosecutor cooperation, and sexual harassment issues in the workplace. Following the seminar’s conclusion, the participants agreed that increased coordination between police and prosecutors from day one of an investigation is vital to building quality cases and increasing conviction rates at trial.