Forensic kit accessibility an issue for Northern Sask. survivors of sexual assault
Kendall Latimer | CBC News | Posted: June 29, 2018 11:00 AM | Last Updated: June 29, 2018
'Travelling one to five hours is unacceptable and for most of these women it is impossible': advocate
An advocate for sexual assault survivors says northern Saskatchewan residents face barriers when it comes to evidence collection after the attack.
Survivors can choose to have a forensic exam after an assault. Police process the evidence and it can be used later if charges are pursued or the case enters the court system.
Amber Stewart, executive director of The Battlefords and Area Sexual Assault Centre, said forensic exams "get offenders off the streets."
"It's hard to deny DNA evidence," she said.
But many health centres in northern communities don't have forensic kits at their clinics, Stewart said. They are only available at hospitals that offer emergency services.
In theory, kits are available province-wide because every RCMP detachment has them. But Stewart said even if an officer delivers kits to a clinic, staff often aren't trained to process them.
'For most people it's impossible'
Stewart contacted 15 local clinics in her organization's service area north of North Battleford to see what services they had available.
"When we phoned around to these clinics 90 per cent of them didn't even know if they had a forensic kit, or who would have it," she said.
"Most of them said we wouldn't know what to do if someone walked in and said they had been sexually assaulted. We should just send them to the next closest hospital."
In northern Saskatchewan, the nearest hospital could be hours away.
"It's difficult. For most people it's impossible," she said, citing money and access to vehicles as barriers.
"Travelling one to five hours is unacceptable and for most of these women it is impossible."
She said some people are reluctant to ask someone else to drive them if they've just been assaulted.
If people don't have a ride, an RCMP officer can transport the patient to the nearest hospital.
"Then you have victims travelling in the back of an RCMP car," she said, noting this can deter people from getting the exam.
The RCMP do not have a policy that dictates if they have to stick around to take a patient home after an exam.
"The policy is we're just supposed to give priority to the needs of the victim," said Sgt. Kelly West.
Stewart said medication for things like HIV or pregnancy prevention can be administered after an examination, which is another reason long gaps between an assault and the kit are concerning.
Children face long hours of travel
"Children have to go to Regina or Saskatoon because their forensic kits are done under anesthetic," she said.
"If you have a child who's been sexually assaulted living in Ile la Crosse (or) La Loche, that's an even further drive."
According to Statistics Canada, 37 per cent of Saskatchewan's 1,526 police-reported sexual assault victims in 2016 were younger than 18. More specifically, 347 children under the age of 12 were reported to be victims of sexual offences.
Stewart said victims are encouraged not to shower, change clothes, brush their teeth or even go to the washroom.
"If the person's been assaulted and say they wait one or two hours or even you know three or four to go into the hospital, and then they're told you have to travel four hours or three hours — we're looking at five six, seven, eight hours after the assault."
Training levels unknown in rural areas
Physicians receive basic training with the kits, according to the Saskatchewan Health Authority spokesperson. Some physicians have specific training with forensic kits. For example, there are 20 physicians in Saskatoon and about 13 in Prince Albert who have the training.
Regina also has nurses trained through the Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner program, according to the spokesperson.
However, there aren't clear numbers for rural areas.
"In other areas outside of these, it is our understanding physicians administer the kits. Physicians in rural jurisdictions are likely to have received specific training in the utilization of the kits or are able to follow documented procedures," the spokesperson said in an email.
"Some rural areas may also have nurses with specialized training."
Stewart wants to see more education for health care providers across the province, so exams can be done in more communities.
"If we had standardized provincial policies and procedures, standard education for all doctors and nurses it would definitely be a huge improvement."
An SHA spokesperson said the authority will "examine the practices of each former health region to determine the best provincial approach when supporting victims of sexual assault" as it completes its transition to a single authority.