Compassionate Care Flight Nurse Heads Program to Assist Sexual Assault Victims By Pamela S. Nault
For victims of sexual assault, the insult to their dignity doesn't end with the crime. A long wait in a hospital emergency room, an invasive medical examination, an intrusive law enforcement investigation and, often, an embarrassing public trial will follow, that is, if they report the crime.
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Victoria Bitar (left) a forensic sexual assault nurse examiner and coordinator of the Essex County SANE program, reviews sexual assault response team procedures with Denise Jason, RN and emergency room director at East Orange General Hospital in Newark, N.J.
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This treatment, lack of faith in the criminal justice process and fear of reprisal from the assailant combine to silence 68 percent of sexual assault victims, according to U.S. Justice Department statistics. In May , New Jersey legislators gave a voice to sexual assault victims by passing legislation and committing resources to improve the care and treatment they receive and to provide assistance to prosecutors to make offenders accountable. The Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program, mandatory in the Garden State's 21 counties, is expected to be a role model for other states. Spearheading the SANE program in Essex County, where one-third of the state's sexual assaults occurs, is an Air Force Reserve flight nurse.
"This program provides immediate response with compassionate care for sexual assault victims, improved evidence collection and, ultimately, higher conviction rates," said Victoria Bitar, a captain and six-year reservist with the 514th Air Mobility Wing, McGuire Air Force Base, N.J. As program coordinator, Bitar is one member of a sexual assault response team. Other members are a rape care advocate, a forensic SANE and a law enforcement official.
When a victim comes into one of the county's six participating hospitals, the SART arrives within 45 minutes. Bitar works with all the parties involved to interpret medical evidence, prepare and arrange witness and expert testimony and assist the prosecutor with grand jury presentations and court proceedings.
"We've come a long way with victim rights," said Bitar, a member of the International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN). She received SANE training at Rutgers University in and forensic SANE certification from the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in May. "This team approach ensures victims understand their rights, are treated with dignity and have an advocate throughout the process."
Upon arrival at the hospital, victims are taken to a private waiting room, where they meet with the rape care advocate, who is also present during all medical procedures and the law enforcement investigation. Victims must give permission to be treated for injuries and to be examined by a forensic SANE, Bitar says. Standardized procedures ensure victims are treated with dignity, forensic evidence is gathered and preserved in a rape kit, and law enforcement reports are comprehensive, she adds.
The forensic evidence, and DNA in particular, as well as verbal statements offered by victims during the history and physical examination, serve as powerful evidence for a prosecutor to pursue a conviction. Victims then attend to personal hygiene matters and receive fresh clothing, as the clothes they were wearing at the time of the assault are often taken as evidence.
"Every step in the process is critical," Bitar said. "This team of professionals provides care and treatment for the physical, emotional and psychological aspects of trauma."
In the United States, a woman is sexually assaulted every two minutes, according to the U.S. Justice Department. In cases involving adults, the offender is a stranger in 25 percent of incidents, a family member in 12 percent and an acquaintance in 63 percent. Date rape, in particular, appears to be a growing problem.
Clara Rodriguez Jacobs, Essex County assistant prosecutor and sexual assault rape analysis director, said high-profile court cases have brought DNA forensic science to the forefront of public consciousness.
"It's a very complex, precise science that determines not only who the assailant is but exonerates other suspects," she says. "We rely on the SANE coordinator to interpret this important evidence to help us prosecute a case."
During the summer months, an average of four rapes are reported daily at the East Orange General Hospital emergency room in Newark, N.J., according to Denise Jason, a registered nurse and director of the ER.
"Cooperation among members of the sexual assault response team has made a huge difference in how sexual assaults are handled here," she says. "Training, experience and teamwork are making this program a success."
Word is getting out," Bitar emphasizes. "As a result of SANE, more victims are reporting sexual assaults, knowing they will be heard, assistance is available for recovery, and assailants are being apprehended, prosecuted and punished."
Bitar adds that victims are often empowered by participating in the prosecution of offenders, and a successful outcome can be an important step in the healing process. "Altruistically, more victims are coming forward stating they don't want what happened to them to happen to others," she said. "They want the offenders off the streets."
The Essex County Prosecutor's Office of Victim Witness Advocacy, directed by Pam McCauley, supports crime victims by providing food vouchers, clothing, child care temporary shelter, relocation services, mental health counseling, medical costs, and other emergency and referral services, as needed.
James A. Gilson, New Jersey deputy attorney general, said New Jersey is the first state in the nation to enact a law imposing a fine on people convicted of sex crimes. "This landmark law adds a fine of $800 to the existing fines and penalties that criminal offenders must pay," he said. "The monies collected are designated for the development and operation of the forensic nursing services of the state."
New Jersey offers SANE registered nurse certification through the state Board of Nursing and the attorney general's office. Bitar serves as chairperson of the New Jersey State Forensic SANE Education Development Council, which develops curricula for the certification.
"Looking at the bigger picture, greater offender accountability improves safety and security in our community," says Bitar.
"I really feel like I'm making a difference in people's lives, and that's what nursing is all about," Bitar says. "I have the best of both worlds, serving my country and community."
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Pamela S. Nault is chief of the Community Relations/ Environmental Division in the Air Force Reserve Command Office of Public Affairs at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia. |
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