TEXARKANA, Texas–Two alleged victims of sexual violence, including a 14-year-old girl and an 18-year-old woman, were not immediately examined after seeking care at a local hospital’s emergency room in the hours after their assaults in May, according to a Texarkana father and court records in a separate case.
Both alleged victims were told that there was not a certified Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, or SANE nurse, on duty when they presented for care at CHRISTUS St. Michael hospital in Texarkana, Texas.
The father of the 18-year-old penned a letter to hospital administration expressing frustration with his daughter’s experience. According to the father’s letter, his daughter was sexually assaulted May 15 and sought care at St. Michael’s main emergency room the same day.
After waiting over an hour there, the family took their daughter to the hospital’s emergency room on Pine St. in downtown Texarkana and were told there was no SANE nurse available. It was recommended that they travel to a different hospital more than an hour away in Mount Pleasant, Texas, the father’s letter said.
“This experience caused my daughter further emotional harm and delayed the critical forensic care she needed,” the father of the 18-year-old wrote. “The systemic lack of readiness for such a sensitive and time-critical emergency is deeply troubling.”
The parents of a 14-year-old girl who alleged she had just been sexually assaulted that day took her to the emergency room May 31 on Pine Street but she was discharged and told to go to the main St. Michael’s campus on St. Michael’s Drive for a sexual assault exam, according to a probable cause affidavit prepared by a member of the Bowie County Sheriff’s Office.
At the main hospital, the girl’s clothing was collected but she was told there was no SANE nurse on duty and that she should return to the hospital hours later when one would be available.
Any registered nurse or medical doctor can conduct a sexual assault examination and collect a rape kit, Bowie County First Assistant District Attorney Kelley Crisp told TXK Today, in response to a question regarding the legal protocol followed after a sexual assault is reported. Crisp said she has prosecuted a number of cases where exams and rape kits have been completed by non-SANE nurses or physicians.
Crisp said that in those cases, she has called a SANE nurse in addition to the medical staff person who conducted the exam to provide testimony regarding the interpretation of evidence collected.
“We are always grateful to the SANE nurses and other medical providers who treat these victims and perform these services,” Crisp said.
According to the Texas Department of Health and Human Services website, “you can still receive a medical forensic examination for sexual assault” in a facility that has not been designated as Sexual Assault Forensic Examination-ready.
“However, your exam may not be conducted by a certified sexual assault nurse examiner or a physician with specialized training,” the Texas HHS site said. “If you prefer to have a SANE or a physician with specialized training conduct your exam, you have the right to be transferred to a SAFE-Ready facility.”
No medical facilities in Texarkana, including St. Michael’s, are included on a Texas HHS list of “self-reported” sexual assault forensic examination-ready facilities. Hospitals in Mount Pleasant, Texas, and Longview, Texas, which are both more than an hour from Texarkana, do appear on the self-reported list.
A spokesperson for St. Michael’s Hospital confirmed that St. Michael is not a SAFE-Ready facility as defined by the Texas Department of Health and Human Services. The hospital did not respond to written questions regarding its current protocol for patients who present with a complaint of a recent sexual assault.
“CHRISTUS St. Michael is not a SAFE-Ready facility as designated by Texas Department of Health and Human Services,” the hospital said. “This means that patients can receive a medical forensic examination for sexual assault, but the exam might not be conducted by a certified sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE). If a patient prefers a SANE, the patient can be transferred to a SAFE-Ready facility.”
“Due to patient privacy laws, CHRISTUS does not share information about the patients we are privileged to serve,” the hospital said. “We value each person, and our team and hospital leaders work tirelessly to provide quality and compassionate patient care to each individual.”
According to the Rape Abuse & Incest National Network website, having a sexual assault examination increases the likelihood of prosecution and “the importance of DNA evidence in sexual assault cases cannot be overstated.”
While a sexual assault examination can be conducted up to five days following a sexual assault, the sooner an exam and rape kit are completed, the more likely evidence linking a suspect to the crime may be obtained. Sexual assault victims are often advised not to bathe, shower or use the restroom until after an exam is completed, according to the RAINN website.
In the case of the 14-year-old, a felony charge of aggravated sexual assault has been filed against Anthony Ladun “Pooh” Scott, 42. He faces five to 99 years or life in prison if convicted and is currently being held in the Bowie County jail with bail set at $150,000.
In the case of the 18-year-old, she accused a massage therapist of sexually assaulting her during a massage. In a social media post May 22, the Texarkana Texas Police Department asked for the public’s help in locating Hai Liu, 55, and said a warrant for his arrest on a sexual assault charge has been issued. Liu, however, remains at large.
