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SURVIVOR'S GUIDE
09
A SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVOR'S GUIDE
RILEY MORTENSEN
@RileyMortensen
In a study of undergraduate women, nearly 1 in 5 women (19 percent) experienced attempted or completed sexual assault since entering college, according to a report published by the CDC in 2012.
According to the same report, 1 in 71 men reported experiencing rape at some point in their lives. This leaves questions about the resources available to survivors as they wade through the process of filing complaints and reports, attending therapy and seeking justice.
The Kansan sat down with the Lawrence Police Department, the Office of Institutional Opportunity and Access, the KU Public Safety Office, Lawrence Memorial Hospital and Student Affairs to try to answer a question that college-aged students continue to ask themselves:
"I think I've been sexually assaulted. What options do I have?"
The following is all information, resources and procedures available to the Lawrence and University community.
Editor's note: The Kansan strives to be a resource to all in our community. During our continued efforts to report on this topic fairly and accurately, we realized the need to create an online resource center where survivors can go and learn what options they have. The page will be live and continually updated at Kansan.com for anyone to use. The Kansan also recognizes that this guide is optional, and each survivor must choose for themselves what they want to do after sexual violence. This guide is an attempt to make the decision easier for survivors by listing their options.
A note on language:
Kathy Rose-Mockry, executive director of the Emily Taylor Center for Women and Gender Equity, said the vocabulary currently used when referring to those involved in sexual assault crimes is "complainant," the one who reports the crime, and "respondent," the one who is allegedly accused; however, when describing situations where the crime was not reported or hasn't yet been reported it is best to use "survivor" and "alleged perpetrator." The word "victim," while commonly used, is actually a medical and criminal term and can often come across as alienating to a survivor. The Kansan also understands some prefer the term "victim" or even "victim-survivor." We understand that those who have experienced sexual trauma, like all individuals, have the right to label themselves, and we respect that right.
What to expect at a Sexual Assault Forensic Exam
This information is from Terri Woodson, Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) coordinator at Lawrence Memorial Hospital. Woodson has 38 years of experience in the emergency/trauma department.
A note on language:
These exams and kits are known by a variety of names including rape kit, SAFE exams (Sexual Assault Forensic Exam) and Sexual Assault Evidence kit. LMH tries to use the term "SAFE exam" most of the time Survivors are generally referred to as patients in the hospital setting.
How the exam works
- Evidence collected is much more than just an exam of genitalia. It includes your whole body — for example, skin samples and hair samples from all over the body.
- The evidence collection kit will be sealed after the nurse finishes the exam. Should you choose to pursue criminal charges, it will not be opened again until the trial, when the Kansas Bureau of Investigation's lab will test the samples. KBI is the state equivalent of the FBI.
- The only evidence from the rape kit that IOA can use is the documentation that is included in the written part of the exam, specifically anything showing or describing your injuries; however, this can be a crucial piece of evidence.
- Janice Early, vice president of marketing and communications at Lawrence Memorial Hospital, said survivors can request a SANE exam even if they are not going to file a police report or a report with IOA.
- The patient will never have to wait in the waiting room because workers don't want them to feel like everyone is looking at them and want to give them as much privacy as possible.
- Most of the time patients come in through the emergency room and once the patient registers, they will immediately be brought back to a room, either the protocol area or the family area.
- All rooms in the LMH emergency room are private rooms.
- Next, paperwork begins. The patient will visit with the primary nurse and then the SANE nurse will be called in.
- LMH will always have a SANE nurse on-call. They currently have 13 trained SANE nurses who have gone through training including a 40-hour class, orientation at LMH and training for the photography portion of the SAFE exam.
- SANE nurses have 30 minutes to get to the hospital. During this same time, an advocate from GaDuGi is called and the patient can choose to have them go through the process with them. Often the patient does want the advocate there because they can help with the process once the patient leaves the hospital as well as supporting them during the exam.
- Whether you've brought a friend, family member or use the advocate service, if there are any uncomfortable parts of the exam the patient can ask them to step out, or if the nurse sees the patient is uncomfortable, they may ask whoever is with the patient to step out.
- LMH has a separate SANE room for SAFE exams. They have had this room for about six years.
- The evidence collection kits are distributed by KBI out of Topeka. Each state has a different kit and the kits in Douglas County are paid for by the district attorney.
- There are two versions of the kit: reported, meaning you're reporting to the police, and non-reported.
- The hospital prefers that the patient report because then the kit is more thorough, but they won't pressure the patient to report if they don't want to.
- Non-reported kits will not include blood, urine or drug testing samples because KBI can't store those things for five years. Non-reported kits consist mostly of swabs, hairs, photos and paperwork.
- Inside the kit are a number of things: lots of information for the patient including information on crime victim support, information on how they will feel, what they're going through and resources. This is also the time when the nurse will give the patient their case number.
SEE GUIDE PAGE 10
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