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WA rape victims left to wait in soiled clothes and made to drive hours due to State’s dire forensic services

WA rape victims are being forced to wait in bloodied and soiled clothes — sometimes for longer than a day — to see specialist doctors and support services, according to a damning report. The distressing revelation is contained in a review that found many women are left humiliated and further traumatised, with little privacy at they sit for hours in emergency departments waiting for a simple DNA examination. The Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing looked at WA’s five community-based sexual assault support services based in Bunbury, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, Mandurah and Port Hedland. It discovered there are no services for people raped in WA’s Great Southern, Wheatbelt and most of the north of the State remains inaccessible. The closest support service for any victims in Esperance is 390km north in Kalgoorlie. The next closest alternative involves an eight-hour drive to Perth. Last year, The West Australian reported on the devastating story of mother-of-two *Alice who was allegedly drugged and raped, and then had to wait for eight hours with little privacy at Karratha Health Campus. Premier Roger Cook said the 42-year-old’s story was “disturbing and distressing”. The report paints a horrifying picture of the State’s forensic medicine system, with the services not seeing a funding increase in seven years despite a 30 per cent rise in sexual assault cases over the same period. Review author Jessica Murray, who leads the centre’s sexual violence response, said WA had just six adult support services in contrast to Victoria’s 17, Queensland’s 23, and NSW’s 62. “We’ve got major gaps across the State in terms of access to sexual assault support services and it’s really critical that victim survivors are able to access services where they are and when they need them,” Ms Murray said. “They don’t always have the psychosocial support alongside them when they’re doing the forensics. “They’re presenting at hospitals where they have to wait for a significant amount of time. They have to wait around without changing their clothes, without taking a shower.” However, it’s not just those remote areas where victims struggle for support and have to travel significant distances. Residents in Mandurah and surrounding areas are referred from the Peel Health Campus to the Subiaco-based Sexual Assault Resource Centre, meaning an almost 150km round trip for victims. “Even though it’s in the metropolitan area, it’s still a significant distance where people have to go when they are turned away from that hospital,” Ms Murray said. Ms Murray said many would be deterred from reporting their rape because of the barriers to accessing support or delays. “We know that people will opt out of that stage. That’s the feedback we’ve had from services,” she said. All five regional services share funding of $1.7 million a year, an amount Ms Murray described as “unsustainable and insufficient”. Women who can’t access trained staff can use early evidence kits but they are not a substitute or full assessment. The kits are currently only available through WA Health, some police stations and select mining sites. Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing chief executive Alison Evans said she was hopeful the State Government would act to improve services amid ongoing reform of sexual violence policies in WA. “It makes you feel deeply ashamed that victim-survivors can’t get the support when they need it,” Dr Evans said. “(But) we are heartened by the WA Government’s commitment to addressing sexual violence.” WA Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said she welcomed the review, adding that the State Government would consider the recommendations and what further work was required. “Along with Communities and Justice, WA Health is co-leading the development of the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Strategy and Action Plan,” she said. “The Strategy will provide a whole-of-government framework to address all forms of sexual violence to improve outcomes for victim-survivors and guide sexual violence service and program funding.” 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Sexual Assault Counselling Australia: 1800 211 028 WA Sexual Assault Resource Centre: 6458 1828 or 1800 199 888 (free call from landlines) Lifeline: 13 11 14

The West Australian exclusiveWA rape victims left to wait in soiled clothes and made to drive hours due to State’s dire forensic services

exclusive
WA rape victims left to wait in soiled clothes and made to drive hours due to State’s dire forensic services