Alaska needs more forensic nurses, authorities say
from KTUU Channel 2:
Health care workers say there’s a shortage in Alaska of forensic nurses, who prosecutors describe as crucial in bringing justice to sexual assault victims.
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“These crimes often happen with no other witnesses than the victim and the defendant and frequently it comes down to a case of she-said, he-said,” said state Sen. Hollis French. “And with the evidence that a sex assault nurse can provide, it tips the balance and establishes the credibility of the victim’s story.”
French chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, which recently issued a report on what Alaska should do to reduce sexual assaults. As a former prosecutor for sexual assault cases, he knows it’s hard to find evidence without a trained eye.
“To have someone who can look at the injuries, tell you how long they were inflicted, tell you what the circumstances that would have caused them to take place,” French said. “They frequently give very compelling evidence on the issue of consent, which is always an issue in these types of cases.”
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