Progress in the fight against sexual crimes.
Thank you, Jennifer Tharp, Comal SART and Christus Santa Rosa Hospital-New Braunfels.
Hospital opens private room for victims
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Sexual assault victims must travel a hard road before justice is done, sacrificing privacy in order to see their assailants put behind bars.
Comal SART (Sexual Assault Response Team) and Christus Santa Rosa Hospital – New Braunfels took a step towards easing the pain of that journey Wednesday afternoon by dedicating a room at the hospital for sexual assault examinations.
“Our victims range from ages 2 to 82 and come from all walks of life,” said Jennifer Tharp, SART president and chief civil prosecutor for Comal County, addressing a crowd of approximately 50 people gathered for the event. “It is our job to take care of our victims and make sure we can begin the healing process through a private, dedicated room.”
Up until 2006, sexual assault victims in Comal County were forced to travel to San Antonio or Austin to receive a physical examination. That alone was enough to discourage people from reporting sexual assaults, said Jo Marie Montague, SART secretary.
“When you tell them they have to go to San Antonio, a lot of times they say they aren’t interested,” she said, “but when you say give us five minutes and we can have a nurse here in an hour, the majority of them are willing to wait.”
An arm of the national organization, Comal SART was founded in 2005. It began funding SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) examinations at Christus in 2006, but were only able to offer examinations and interviews of victims through the emergency room, often a busy and public place.
Not anymore, thanks to the efforts of SART, whose representatives will now escort the victims directly to the SANE room, where they can be examined privately. The location of the room was selected because of its proximity to a nearby interview room where law enforcement can conduct interviews.
These features make a world of difference for the victim, said Montague, who is also a victim advocate; she accompanies the victim through the exam and the interviews in a support capacity.
“We let them know they are not going through this alone by giving them someone to talk to,” Montague said.
Privacy is not the only benefit of having the dedicated room. Victims are not allowed to eat, drink, or go to the bathroom before an examination in order to preserve any evidence, said Montague. Time becomes a critical element.
“We used to travel out of town, and time was lost and DNA was wasted,” she said. “Having (a dedicated room) here cuts down on that tremendously.”
Tharp highlighted what she called the “CSI” effect, referring to how crucial DNA evidence had become in sexual assault trials.
“Juries expect us to have DNA evidence for every single case, most importantly the sexual assault cases,” Tharp said. “That was a frustration our office dealt with for years.” Tharp said before the SANE program was established in New Braunfels, the district attorney’s office would often lose evidence because the victims were unable or unwilling to travel to San Antonio or Austin to be examined.
“The one thing SART is absolutely dedicated to is that we are going to treat our victims here locally – they should not have to leave our city or our county to get the treatment they need and deserve,” she said.
Christus Vice President Jim Wesson provided an official welcome to the SART team at the ribbon cutting ceremony.
“The reason we exist as an organization is to take care of people, and we feel this is another step in that direction,” he said. “Having a dedicated SANE room allows the victims of sexual assault to be brought here, affording them privacy, which is so important at that time and the ability to interact with law enforcement in a way that is less traumatic than perhaps it would be in an emergency room setting.”
The new SANE room features two beds, one for adults and one for children, as well as all of the necessary equipment for performing sexual assault examinations. SANE nurses are specially qualified for the examinations, and must undergo extensive training before being certified. The equipment was furnished with SART funds. The organization, which operates solely on grants and donations, distributed a “wish list” at the opening ceremony of items they need, namely medical and office supplies. Those wishing to donate can do so online at www.comalsart.com.
