Merced Police Chief advocates for local sexual assault exams, citing improved care for survivors despite higher costs. (The Merced FOCUS)
- Merced now offers local forensic medical exams for sexual assault survivors, eliminating the need for travel to Los Banos or Fresno.
- City Council approved doubling the budget for exams, with Police Chief Stanfield emphasizing the importance of local care for survivors.
- The forensic medical exam process includes assessment, evidence collection, and discharge, with resources available for survivors.
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Last year, The Merced FOCUS reported that for the first time in over a decade, a crucial service for survivors of sexual assault would be offered locally.
Brianna Vaccari
The Merced FOCUS
That service is a forensic medical exam, a lengthy evidence collection process that’s key for treating and documenting medical conditions or injuries associated with the assault, in addition to gathering DNA to prosecute crimes.
The exam is more commonly known as a “rape kit.”
The good news is that now, survivors who engage with Merced Police Department can undergo the exam right here in Merced, rather than traveling to either Los Banos or Fresno.
“We felt that was traumatizing our victims beyond what they’ve already been through,” Merced Police Chief Steven Stanfield said.
The topic briefly came up again at last week’s Merced City Council meeting.
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Council Approves Additional Funding
The Merced City Council unanimously approved more funding to cover the cost of the service. Stanfield explained that providing the service in Merced costs about double what it did to transport survivors, but the city can get reimbursed through grant funding.
The cost of an exam doubled, from about $900 to around $2,000. In turn, the council approved to double the budget and the contract with the company that provides the service, Forensic Nurse Specialists of NorCal LLC , from around $38,000 to $76,000.
In an interview with The FOCUS, Stanfield said the cost is worth it.
“It’s not worth saving a buck to provide a worse service to one of our citizens,” he said. “They deserve to be treated and cared for right here, where they can receive support services and the love of their families.”
The initial contract with Forensic Nurse Specialists of NorCal was for one year and ends in August. Stanfield says the plan is to renew the contract and spread the word to other local agencies.
“We did an initial one year to make sure the project was working, and I would be happy to share all that information with my colleagues to see if everybody else can get on board too,” he said.
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What Is a Forensic Medical Exam?
A forensic medical exam takes three steps to complete. The exam is done on people, including children, who experience crimes such as sexual assault (which includes rape), domestic violence and human trafficking.
To begin the exam, a nurse first will conduct an assessment and interview the victim to find out what happened. This information will give the nurse a road map for evidence collection.
Evidence collection is the second part of the exam and includes swabbing for DNA, taking photos, and a physical examination. Often, survivors are discouraged from changing out of their clothes, eating, drinking or using the bathroom before the exam to preserve evidence.
The last portion is discharge, which includes providing necessary antibiotics or medications the client may need. During discharge, an advocate often provides their client a snack or meal of some sort, as well as resources for mental health or follow-up medical services they may need.
In some cases, clients are asked to return a few days later so nurses can collect additional evidence, such as taking new photos of injuries or bruising.
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Resources
If you have experienced sexual assault, domestic violence or human trafficking, you are not alone, and help is available.
If you need emergency medical attention, call 911.
To speak to an advocate about other resources, call the Valley Crisis Center’s 24/7 crisis hotline at 209-722-4357. You can also visit valleycrisiscenter.org.
Merced College students and staff at the Merced and Los Banos campuses can find information about their campus advocate and resources at the campus’ student support page: www.mccd.edu/student-support/. Click on the Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention link to get help.
UC Merced students and staff can find information about their campus resources at ophd.ucmerced.edu.
About the Author
Brianna is the accountability and government watchdog reporter for the Central Valley Journalism Collaborative.
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