New Initiative To Protect Sexual Assault Survivors
Last week during a press conference at Illinois Masonic Hospital, Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced a partnership between her office and the Illinois Hospital Association (IHA).
Madigan and IHA will work to double the number of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) nurses practicing in hospitals and implement a SANE program in each of Illinois 11 trauma regions by the fall of 2012. As a result, an on-call SANE nurse will be available 24/7 to aid survivors of sexual assaults.
In 2003, Madigan created a training program to certify SANE nurses. Six hundred fifty nurses were trained but only 75 are fully practicing.
SANE nurses are specially trained to conduct forensic examinations and testify in court. According to Allnurses.com, a nurses community website, the victim of a sexual assault is one of the most severely psychologically traumatized individuals a nurse can encounter and upon presentation to the hospital, they are often re-traumatized. Most will re-live the assault upon being examined.
The SANE nurse therefore plays a couple of roles, being responsible for not only preserving the dignity of the victim, but for collecting evidence that links the victim and the suspect.
According to Madigan, the addition of SANE nurses is a critical step to encouraging more survivors to report their assaults and to putting sexual predators in prison.
Most sexual assaults go unreported, and as a result, the justice system fails survivors of these horrible crimes while violent predators remain free, Attorney General Madigan said. We must do more to encourage sexual assault survivors to come forward. By putting more SANE nurses on duty, we can assure survivors that they will receive compassionate and medically appropriate care that will also provide critical evidence to law enforcement to pursue justice.
Advocate South Suburban Hospital in Hazel Crest is one of two hospitals in the state to currently have SANE programs operating 24 hours a day. Advocate Health Care is amongst the first to commit to implementing more SANE programs.
Maryjane Wurth, IHA president said the organization is pleased to work with Madigan on the initiative to help rape survivors.
Our hospitals are committed to providing the highest quality, compassionate care to these survivors as well as critical forensic services needed for the prosecution of offenders to help keep our communities safe, said Wurth.
Thelma Sardin, Attorney Generals office press release
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