Heseltine Addresses Rape

Wednesday night, Sgt. Pi Heseltine of the Massachusetts State Police and Gwen Pino, a sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE), gave a presentation at Boston College concerning drug- assisted assault and the relationship between investigators and forensic nurses in these cases. The speakers addressed nursing students interested in the forensic field.

Helestine and Pino discussed the importance of nurses and their role in sexual assault investigations. Typically, when a victim of a suspected sexual assault comes forth to be examined, nurses must execute a 36-step process and record initial statements. All of the information that is collected eventually provides prosecutors with the foundation for their cases.

In order to do this work most efficiently, Pino said the most important thing is to "listen to the victim and what they're telling you happened." By simply listening, Pino told the audience that they could pick up on clues that tell them where and how to examine their patient outside of the mandated 36-step system. For instance, if a victim expresses pain in unusual areas or notices unusual substances or debris on their skin, it is crucial that nurses follow through and examine those areas of concern.

The problem in many of these cases, though, is that the report is often delayed anywhere from days to years. "This causes cases to dissipate quicker from an evidentiary perspective," said Heseltine. This is especially true considering a large part of evidence comes from the victim and the perpetrator's bodies, which are not stable environments. So many reports of sexual assault are delayed because 70 to 80 percent of victims are at least acquaintances with their assailants, said Heseltine and Pino, and many victims are afraid or unsure if they should come forth. The majority of crimes that solicit immediate emergency calls are those few that are committed by strangers. However, a time lapse should not discourage victims from reporting, the speakers urged. "Toxicology is only one piece of the puzzle," Pino said.

Once this general background on sexual assault was covered, Heseltine and Pino went on to discuss how drugs affect both the investigations and the way they are processed by nurses and police. "You can have date rape where there is psychological and physical corrosion,"Heseltine said. Yet, about one third of cases do involve some drug use. In most drug-assisted assaults, the victim is under the influence of alcohol, but other popular drugs that are generally administered by the attacker can range from Rohypnol, GHB, or Ketamine to sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, or other prescription pills. These drugs are usually slipped into drinks without the victim's knowledge and can cause a variety of effects, including memory loss, mental and physical impairment, and increased sexual drive.

The presentation cited national statistics that show that one in four women will be the victims of date rape in their lifetimes. However, occurrences of sexual assault are even more common on college campuses. There are about 100,000 cases of rape reported each year from women in the 18-24 age range, but there are thousands more that are suspected to go unreported. Additionally, over one half of the reported assaults involve alcohol.

No matter what type of substance is thought to contribute to the attack or how long the victim takes to report their case, though, Pino reminded nurses that proper treatment of their patients is paramount. This, in turn, can help the victim feel at ease and more eager to discuss the crime, she said. Also, it can heighten the community's confidence in both the medical teams and the investigative teams that work to solve to these cases. "Respond with dignity, respect, and sensitivity," Heseltine said.