Thanks to two new city policies, and a state law awaiting the governor's signature, all victims of rape and other forms of sexual assault will be given the choice to visit a hospital with specialized resources; “suspect kits” will be used to gather evidence to support claims of sexual violence in court; and a new payment system would make it easier for victims to receive preventive treatment after possible exposure to HIV.
Until June 8, standard ambulance protocol was to bring victims of sexual assault to the nearest of the city’s 54 hospital emergency rooms. Now, all victims over the age of 12 and in stable condition are to be given the choice to be transported to a hospital with access to more comprehensive support. Known as SAFE centers (because they're staffed with Sexual Assault Forensic Examiners), all 11 of the city’s public hospitals and seven other emergency rooms across the five boroughs employ forensic examiners who have been specially trained to collect evidence from, and care for, sexual assault victims. Victims who visit SAFE centers are treated within one hour of their arrival and also have access to a victim advocate for emotional support and legal and medical counsel.
All city emergency departments are mandated by law to provide treatment to victims of a sexual offense, but according to a 2007 report issued by the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault, the services a victim receives at a SAFE center are more comprehensive. The survey of 11 SAFE centers and 28 non-SAFE emergency departments found that SAFE centers were more likely to have specialized equipment to collect evidence, and also provided more information, advocacy and follow-up care than non-SAFE centers.
The recent development is the outcome of a pilot program Mayor Bloomberg announced in 2004, to create the first Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) in Bronx public hospitals, which has since expanded to include all public hospitals in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. (Members of SART have equivalent SAFE qualifications, but can travel between public hospitals). To accommodate this expansion of the SAFE and SART programs, city agencies have been hard at work developing ways to give victims greater access to the services available to them, such as changing the ambulance protocol.
It may seem like a simple idea, says Harriet Lessel, executive director of the Alliance, but this adjustment was actually the result of years of discussion, development, and coordination between the city Fire Department, Emergency Medical Services, and advocacy groups like hers. She says she hopes this change in ambulance protocol will improve the treatment of victims and provide more viable evidence for criminal prosecution.
“Both the research we’ve done, and our working with different programs, have shown us that this is the best way to get all victims to the place of best care. I think we need more people to understand what services are available and that they are necessary,” Lessel said.
The citywide protocol for the collection of “suspect kits,” which will provide new evidence to support claims of sexual violence in court, is the first of its kind in the country. While some jurisdictions in a handful of states also collect evidence from suspects, the idea for this new formalized procedure was “created from scratch” for New York, says Karen Agnifilo, general counsel for the mayor’s criminal justice coordinator.
