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New ‘SAFE’ Designation System aims to support sexual assault victims in South Carolina

The statewide program to support victims of sexual assault will launch on April 1st.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A new program to help hospitals, communities and other agencies support victims of sexual assault is coming to South Carolina. It's called the Sexual Assault Forensic Excellence designation system, also known the SAFE designation system. 

The SAFE designation system is a partnership between the South Carolina Attorney General's Office, the South Carolina Forensic Nurse Examiners Task Force and the South Carolina Victims Assistance Network.

Statewide Forensic Nurse Examiner Program Director Sabrina Gast says this new program will make sure all agencies who may come in contact with victims of sexual assault know just what to do to help them, as well as preserve critical evidence. 

“What we’re trying to do is make sure any victim of sexual assault that responds to any hospital in the state of South Carolina can at least have healthcare providers that have a basic understanding of how to provide for a sexual assault victim," Gast said.

Gast says in some instances sexual assault evidence isn't always collected or preserved properly. 

“We see cases were evidence was not collected at all or sometimes the evidence is not collected properly,” Gast said. 

Gast says this program will ensure healthcare providers across the state have trained staff in place, ready to take care of victims.

“Currently, we do not have enough forensic nurses or SANE [Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner] nurses to take care of our patient population,” Gast said.

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One sexual assault victim, who asked that we conceal her identity, says without the right help, she wouldn’t have known what to do. 

“In 2017, I myself, was a victim of sexual assault, the victim told us. "I was very upset. I felt lost.”

The victim said at the time, she had people to ask questions with, authorities to guide her, but she says not all victims have that help.

“If the police didn’t tell me where to go, I would not have known, and I probably would’ve went home and showered, and probably never went any further with it.”

Applications open on April 1st for hospitals of all sizes, sexual assault centers, EMS and law enforcement to apply for staff training.

To learn more about applying for the designation, go to www.scvan.org.

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