For years, our justice system has been haunted by a backlog of rape kits sitting, untested, in storage. The reason we're always given? A lack of funding. And it's only getting worse. We now have doctors refusing to treat rape victims at all.
A story of one such victim, a 24-year-old Oklahoma woman, is particularly chilling. Her mother took her into a hospital only to be told by hospital staff that they would not give her emergency contraceptives because it went against their own religious beliefs. And that's not all. The victim's mother alleges her daughter was refused a rape kit entirely.
A hospital spokesperson says that's because it didn't have trained nurses on staff to do the rape kit. Why not? Because state funding for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) requires these trained professional rotate to different hospitals each month.
In other words? Short funding is once again being used as an excuse to fail rape victims. I understand that the economy is awful, but they're being victimized twice over. No money is worth that.
This poor girl was sent to another hospital, where fortunately there was a SANE on duty who did a rape kit, and there was also someone with a little compassion who gave her emergency contraception. But there's no excuse for what happened to her at the first hospital. There should have been someone there to help her, and the staff should have had some respect for her ordeal and valued her bravery.
Even in 2012, rape remains woefully under-reported. Many rape victims say going in and opening their legs to a rape kit is the last thing they want to do. Some because it is like reliving the assault, others because they fear exactly the kind of judgment and poor treatment that this girl experienced.
Pushing these victims off, sending them out to another hospital, means taking someone who has been strong enough to do something extraordinarily difficult and telling her that isn't enough. There is a huge risk that she (or he, there are male victims of rape) won't try another hospital, and not only will she not get treatment, but the risk that the rapist remains at large to strike again rises because there is no one looking to arrest them.
So states save money, but society loses in the end. Is that really smart budgeting?
What should be done about financing these sorts of services?
Image via frenkieb/Flickr
This Hot Dad Wants to Do Your Ironing
KStew Refuses to Shower
This Hot Dad Wants to Cook You Dinner
This Hot Dad Cooks AND Does the Dishes
Comments 95
here's how i see it. our schools and public systems are severely underfunded in the important areas because we overspend where we need not.
first, we need to abolish all this "hey librarian, you get a $200k a year pension!" when they never made more than $75k a year at their actual job. stop paying for the government fat cat's way around everything: if they get free healthcare, so should i.
second, we need to re-evaluate the legality of certain drugs in this country. not only is it a boon to our currently failing tax system, but it also helps remove the illicit dealers from the streets, meaning that the actual DRUG arrests in prison are related to the serious offender type drugs and activities.
third, we need to cap all these liberal programs that give you money for simply inhaling air. i have to bust my ass at work to take care of my family, so you should have to as well. i understand unemployment in this economy for those who've lost their jobs - but there's a difference between that and just exploiting the system.
lastly, we need to readjust our priorities in this country. however, you're asking a greedy, capitalist country to act as a socioeconomic one. that transition is not easy and will not come cheap. however, if we don't start getting money into our schools and medical / hospital fields, we're only going to continue to widen the gap between wealthy and poverty and continue to obliterate the middle class.
- and for this woman, she is in my thoughts and i hope they catch her attacker and hang him up by his balls. i hope she gets the proper care and counseling she will need.
Her case probably wouldn't be tried anyway. I don't blame victims for not coming forward.
Our schools are NOT woefully underfunded, but that's for another topic. Otherwise you are correct that we are spending tax dollars on things that do not fall under the purview of government while shortchanging those things that do. All social spending by the government should be done away with thereby leaving plenty of money for law enforcement.
Gee, is this the stellar U.S. health care that some of you are always bragging about? I'll take Canadian Hospitals and Universal Health Care for the win, Alex.
Going to the hospital first is actually quicker. When calling the police first, it can take several very important hours and sometimes an entire day before being able to get a rape kit or emergency contraceptives. When you go to the hospital first, and then call the police while you are there, they can get information after the most important steps are taken and at the same time inspect the crime scene.