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Apoyo hospitalario y policial
Permaneciendo contigo en cada paso del camino
En el hospital...
RCEA trabaja con el programa SANE en East Alabama Medical Center (EAMC) y EAMC Lanier en Valley. SANE son las siglas de Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, y EAMC tiene varias enfermeras dedicadas de SANE que están bien capacitadas y ofrecen su tiempo como voluntarias específicamente para el trabajo forense.
Cuando un cliente va al hospital, lo llevan a una enfermera de SANE que luego llama a RCEA. Uno de nuestros miembros irá al hospital para conocer al cliente y ofrecerle nuestros servicios. Mientras estamos en el hospital, nuestros servicios se limitan a sentarse con el cliente para brindarle apoyo, hacer las llamadas telefónicas que necesiten, traer comida o ropa y alertar a sus seres queridos, si el cliente lo desea.
La enfermera de SANE atiende muy bien a la víctima en el hospital, y estamos allí principalmente para brindar apoyo moral. Sin embargo, una vez que la víctima sale del hospital, la enfermera SANE ya no puede ser un fuerte apoyo para el cliente, de ahí nuestra participación.
Después del hospital ...
Uno de nuestros miembros de la RCEA se asegurará de registrar al cliente al día siguiente y de nuevo periódicamente cuando el cliente y nuestro miembro lo consideren oportuno.
Si un cliente decide presentar cargos penales, nuestro miembro puede acompañar al cliente a la comisaría, ir a las audiencias y al juicio, y servir como apoyo para el cliente durante todo el proceso. Nuestros miembros brindan un gran apoyo emocional e intelectualmente para ayudar a los clientes a navegar a través de estas situaciones abrumadoras y difíciles.
What is a Rape Kit?
A rape kit is done by a SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) nurse to preserve any DNA evidence and receive medical care after a sexual assault. DNA evidence is collected from your body, clothes, and other belongings. A sexual assault forensic exam can take up to a few hours, but it is of no cost to the victim and increases the likelihood of prosecution if you decide to press charges.
The process of receiving a rape kit is as follows:
1. Any injuries requiring immediate action will be addressed.
2. The SANE nurse will ask for a patient history and details of the assault.
3. The SANE nurse will complete a head-to-toe evaluation, but you can decline any part of the examination that you are uncomfortable with. The SANE nurse may take photos of your body to document any injuries.
4. If you are a minor, the SANE nurse may be obligated to report the assault.
5. You will be offered follow-up care including treatment for STDS and other medical care.
Law Enforcement Support
Our victim advocates can help you if you decide you want to make a police report or press charges. The most important thing to remember is that our victim advocates are mandatory reporters, and must break client confidentiality if there are reports of child or adult abuse, threats to harm self, or threats to harm others. However, if none of these situations apply, our victim advocates are required to keep your information confidential. If you decide you want to press charges or file a police report, you will have an interview with the police, where they will ask you for a verbal and written statement. The police will investigate the allegations and follow up with the perpetrator and any witnesses. If there is enough evidence, the police will present the case to the Grand Jury. The Grand Jury will decide if there is enough evidence to continue with legal proceedings, and if it does, the DA office will take the case. This will be a very long process, and it sometimes takes years to go to trial.
Also, it is important to remember that there is no statute of limitations on when a victim can report a rape to police. This means that you can report a rape from two days ago or twelve years ago. You do not have to report or press charges to have a rape kit done, but the rape kit must be done within 72 hours of the assault in Alabama. If you are unsure about reporting, you can have a Jane Doe kit done, which gives you a chance to store evidence should you decide to report at a later date. The rape kit will be stored at the hospital for 90 days under the name "Jane Doe."