Police and DSAC join forces to support sexual abuse care

Agreements signed by Police and Doctors for Sexual Abuse Care (DSAC) last month will help ensure a high standard of sexual abuse medical forensic examinations are applied consistently nationwide.

The first agreement formalises a relationship between police and DSAC which has existed for more than 20 years says agreement signatory Deputy Commissioner Rob Pope.

“The agreement incorporates our shared aim of improved care to victims and it formally captures all of the best practice developed over a long period. The independent DSAC expertise and approach is something we are very pleased to align with.”

Deputy Commissioner Rob Pope and DSAC Executive Chairperson Doctor Min Lo. Photo: Anna Woolnough

Historically police relied on on-call DSAC-trained (and preferably DSAC-accredited) doctors or Police Medical Officers (PMOs) to examine victims and then provide expert evidence in Court. As there has been no specific support for the specialised training and accreditation process provided by DSAC for these clinicians, standards of treatment for victims and evidence gathering have varied between areas.

The Sexual Abuse and Assessment Treatment Service (SAATS), which is jointly funded by Police, ACC and the Ministry of Health, was set up to ensure victims of sexual abuse, both acute and historic, receive a consistent high level of medical forensic care.

Training offered by DSAC to support SAATS will assist with the provision of examinations that meet internationally accepted standards of best practice.

These medical forensic examinations will ensure both optimal healthcare for victims and any evidence captured is forensically capable for potential future prosecutions.

The SAATS programme created with the assistance of external experts is being rolled out across the country.

The programme has so far been adopted by 13 of the 22 District Health Boards in nine Police districts, and promotion of the scheme is continuing in the rest of the country.

SAATS examinations are conducted when the victim reports to police or if the abuse is reported directly to another source, such as the victim’s GP.

A forensic examination can still be undertaken with a victim who does not want police involvement with the Medical Examination Kit being kept for 26 weeks to give them a period to reflect and decide whether to report the matter.