LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- UofL Health is expanding its services for sexual assault victims as the number of patients continues to rise.
UofL Health has around 30 staff members focused on its SAFE services program, also referred to as SANE, standing for sexual assault forensic examiner.
Victoria Dobson, a survivor of sexual assault, is a social worker in the program, which provides forensic exams and any medical treatment a survivor needs, along with connection to counseling and other services.
"Every day I strive to be someone I wish I had when I was going through the things that I went through," Dobson said.
The program saw over 800 sexual assault and domestic violence patients in 2021. The number of patients continues to rise each year.
"We want people to know that it is safe for you to come to us," said Vicki Yazel, manager of SAFE Services at UofL Hospital. "It's safe for you to disclose information about what happened to you and that stay safe and secured with us."
A Louisville nonprofit focused on supporting vulnerable and victimized women is also seeing an increase in people who've experienced sexual assault. Amy Leenerts, a survivor of sexual assault, founded Free2Hope.
"I didn't have any justice of any kind, and it was never going to happen," Leenerts said. "So at some point, I got healthy enough from it, that I was able to go on and try to be somebody else's justice."
Leenerts is seeing more women rely on her nonprofits services.
"On the street it's really bad," Leenerts said. "What we know is your life kind of halts after those kinds of attacks. We wanted a place that somebody could come and get some help to go forward with their life."
The executive director of Free2Hope believes awareness and stigmas around sexual assault have started to change, but some survivors still hesitate to report to police.
"When a woman walks in and talks to me about it, I say, 'Do you want to report? You don't have to, but it's up to you if you want to,'" Leenerts said. "The majority of the time they won't, which is really sad."
UofL Health SANE nurses say about 35% of patients choose not to report.
"A lot of them, they're afraid of retaliation," Yazel said. "They're afraid of embarrassment. They're afraid of not being believed."
In the U.S. Department of Justice report on LMPD, the DOJ stated the department's sexual assault crimes often go unsolved. While the report did note federal investigators "encountered many within LMPD who are dedicated to providing high quality responses to women who experience sexual assault and domestic violence," the DOJ did find LMPD detectives "routinely fail to sufficiently investigate sexual assault and domestic violence."
Of the cases Louisville Metro Police received in 2022, it had a 46.5% closure rate. In a statement to WDRB News, LMPD said sexual assault is an underreported crime.
"We treat every report of sexual assault seriously and are dependent on our lab in Frankfort to get us information in a timely manner which doesn’t happen. At the least it’s backlogged 18 months on DNA," the statement read. "Every adult has a right to not be a victim. If they decide that they don’t want to report to us then that is their right. ... That’s how trauma works sometimes. There are a lot of ups and downs. ... It’s just not as simple as paying attention to a case closure rate. There are just tons of mitigating factors."
LMPD added its current 288-officer shortage can be felt in all departments, including its Office of Sexual and Physical Investigations.
Beyond closure rates, people working field are hopeful conversations can continue to help more people to step forward.
"I think maybe some more training on how to speak to survivors, how to speak to victims," Leenerts said. "I think all of that is going to go a long way in changing the outcome."
SAFE Services is available 24 hours a day at all UofL Health Emergency Departments, encompassing more than 20 locations around the local area. Victims who need care after experiencing sexual assault can visit any location to meet with a SANE, and reporting to law enforcement is not required for a medical-forensic exam.
"There are people who believe you, there are people who support you, and we're here to kind of walk through that process and journey with them," Dobson said.
SANE nurses can hold evidence for up to a year as a person decides whether or not they'd like to report an assault.
To learn more about Free2Hope, click here.
To learn more about UofL Health's SAFE Services, click here.
Related Story:
Copyright 2023 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
