The Forensic Nurse

News broke over the weekend of a decades long sexual abuse story centering around former Penn State Football assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.  Sandusky who worked under legendary coach Joe Paterno, who just this year won his 409th career football game as head coach in Division I football. 

The recent allegations, who Paterno admits he knew about 12 years ago will certainly leave a huge tarish on the legacy of a man who has been known for integrity and longevity for much of his life.

Authorities have laid out 40 counts of abuse, and 21 of them felony counts against Sandusky who is alledged to have sexual relations with at least eight boys over a fifteen year period starting in 1994. Sandusky resigned as coach at PSU 12 years ago after rumors first came to light in the Penn State inner circle.  

A grad assistant who was working in the Lash football building heard noises coming from a shower room and alledges that he witnessed Sandusky performing anal sodomy on a boy who he believes was around 10 years old at the time. He reported the incident to Joe Paterno the following day, who then met with his boss, Penn State Athletic Director Tim Curley to report what the grad assistant had told him. The Assistant was also called in to meet with the Athletic director and Senior Vice Prcsident at the school Gary Shultz.

Charges of purgery have also been brought against Tim Curley and Gary Shultz for lying to a grand jury and failing to properly report the incidents. Both have posted bail.

The story is still unfolding and more details are sure to emerge. Its unclear if coach Paterno will be forced to resign amid the scandal. He has been cleared of any legal issues, but the moral outrage and lack of follow up for a man who has been an emblem of College football for nearly six decades still remain. Perhaps even longer than the legend of his accomplishments on the field.

Thomas Warda is the defense attorney for Mickey Gotwalt, age 52, who was just convicted of molesting a girl who was 14 years old at the time. Mr. Gotwalt was the high school softball coach at Caro High School, earlier pleaded guilty to three counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct.

At the sentancing hearing Mr. Warda argued that his client “didn’t kill this girl,” according to a court transcript obtained by the Saginaw News. Warda was pleading for a more lenient sentancing for his client saying that he was not a pedophile, and implied that the victim would not suffer from any lasting psychological trauma.

Warda comment excerpts From court transcript: 

“I mean, this isn’t — I don’t think she’s gonna have psychological injury the rest of her life,” .   

“I mean, he’ll be in prison, but, you know, she’ll have forgotten all about this at some point.”

“I’m not blaming the victim, I’m just saying there are circumstances here, but nobody wanted to hear them.”

 Although conceding that the relationship was inappropriate. He went on to say that the teen fell in love with her coach and sent him hundreds of text messages. Gotwalt who was undergoing cancer treatment and Warda claimed was suffering from depression at the time.

Tuscola County Circuit Judge Patrick Joslyn was not swayed by the arguments and sentanced Gotwalt to seven years and two months to 15 years in prison. 

After sentancing, Warda said he stood by his remarks.

 A bold new ad campaign is hitting the airwaves. The US government is launching an ad campaign targeted against sexual violence and explotation of human trafficking.

Atlanta, Georgia is one of the main hubs for human sexual trafficking. Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson airport, the busiest in the entire world, sees many immigrants and international passengers come and go. But some, are here for a very different purpose than most. Often, not of their own choosing.

The new ad campaign sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security airs the ads in Mexico and Central America to warn people about the dangers of illegal passage to the United States.

 The theme titled “No Te Enganes”, or translated meaning “Don’t Be Fooled” tries to educate people about falling into a trap which may end in your loved one being subjected to the world of sexual slavery.  It offers a tipline to report suspicious behavior of suspected human trafficking:  1-888-3737-888.

To Date, the tip line has recieved well over 30,000 phone calls.

 Your government needs your help, and so do countless men, women, and minors who are victims of intimate partner violence.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is asking developers to submit ideas about applications to help prevent or assist victims of dating violence. Nearly 20% of women in college report experiencing sexual assualt while in college.

Judging criteria for submissions
Usefulness
Each entry will be rated for its ability to empower users for the prevention of youth dating violence and sexual assault with real-time direct connections, social media integration, safety/privacy, and access to reputable resources all considered.
Innovativeness
Each entry will be rated for the degree of new thinking and creativity it brings to applications focusing on the prevention of violence and abuse among young adults.
Usability
Each entry will be rated on its user-friendliness and interactive capabilities.
Potential Impact
Each entry will be rated on the strength of its potential to help college students and young adults prevent violence and assault from occurring

Check out challenge.gov for more information. Submit your ideas. Maybe save a life.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), as arrested over the weekend on suspicition of sexual assault in New York.

A housekeeper at the hotel he was staying alledges that he chased her down the hallway and then attempted to sexually assaulted her. She picked Kahn out of a police lineup on Sunday.

The arraignment was delayed after Mr. Kahn agreed to  forensic testing requested by police according to his attorney. Strauss-Kahn, has been charged with attempted rape and unlawful imprisonment relating to the alledged event. A spokesperson for Strauss-Kahn has proclaimed his innocence of the charges.

Strauss-Kahn has been considered by many to be a potential candidate for the french presidancy. The IMF has not made any comments about the situation.

One of the important legal issues regarding the case is about potential diplomatic immunity for Strauss-Kahn.

IMF bylaws state that its officials “shall be immune from legal process with respect to acts performed by them in their official capacity except when the fund waives this immunity.”

If it can be proven that he was acting within the scope of his official capacity of the IMF, he could be outside the jurisdiction of law. William Murray, a spokesman for the IMF, said that as far as he knows, Strauss-Kahn was not in New York City for IMF business.

In part three of our online training guide for free online education opportunities available, is an online forensics course produced by dna.gov  This course is called “What Every Law Enforcement Officer Should Know About DNA Evidence” .

The website describes the course as:

“self-paced training courses are intended to provide interactive training that covers basic information about the identification, preservation, and collection of DNA evidence at a crime scene. Recommended practices covered may not be applicable to all situations or crime scenes. You should apply local department or agency procedures or applicable laws that govern the use, collection, and processing of DNA evidence.”

 This information is gives a very nice understanding of the process of evidence preservation at a crime scene.
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The NIJ is offeringThe goal of this training is provide a basic understanding of fingerprints and their role in forensic science. After completing this training, you will have gained a basic understanding of the anatomy and development of friction ridge skin. You will understand why fingerprints are permanent and unique. You will be able to recognize various levels and types of details used for fingerprint classification and comparison. You will understand why and how fingerprints are used in criminal investigations. You will have gained a basic understanding of biometric fingerprint recognition and the method used to manually compare fingerprints and draw conclusions. Finally, you will be aware of existing quality assurance guidelines and related resources.

Funded under NIJ Award Number 2009-DN-BX-K175

We have dramatically redesigned theforensicnurse.com website to better deliver the most up to date new information and training guidelines for our readers. Our new membership area offers targeted content to users directly affected by their geographic region. This includes statistics, training information, legal resources, local news headlines, local job opportunities for nurses, and so much more.

 come check us out. http://www.theforensicnurse.com/members/login.cfm

Sexual assualt knows no boundries. No matter what race, what nationality, what socio-economic status you hail from can spare you from the potential turmoil. 

 So is the case of Lawrence Taylor, the former NFL linebacker great for the New York Giants. Thursday morning the Hall of Fame linebacker was arrested in his hotel in Rockland County for soliciting sex from a 16 year old girl.

 Taylor was arrested when police were told that the minor had been delivered to his hotel room by another man, Rasheed Davis. Taylor stated at a news conference that he had paid $300 to the man for delivering her. He claims not to have engaged in sex with the minor girl. His Attorney Arthur Aidala state that Taylor is “a loving and family man” and that “My Client did not have sex with anybody. ”

The girl, who has not been identified because she is a minor, was reported missing back in march as a suspected runaway. ESPN.com reported “Early Thursday morning, Davis punched and kicked her, drove her to the hotel against her will and told her she had to have sex with Taylor, police said. When she refused, Davis handed her over to Taylor, who sexually assaulted her, they said. Taylor paid her $300, which she gave to Davis”.

After the alleged incident, she was somehow able to use a cell phone to get a message out. Her uncle received a text message from her with an address and contacted New York Police department to investigate. Officers found the girl along with Rasheed Davis at an address in the Bronx. Davis was charged with unlawful imprisonment, assault and endangering the welfare of a child. It was then when police were directed to Lawrence Taylors whereabouts. The hotel is located  about a half mile from the Spook Rock Golf Course, where Taylor frequently plays.

Mr. Taylor was released after posting a $75,000 bond and subsequently driven away from the courthouse by Mark Lepselter, a friend and business associate.

Ramapo Chief of Police Peter Brower said Taylor was cooperative when police took him into custody at around 4:00AM. Brower would not comment on if Lawrence Taylor knew the age of the girl, but did state that “Ignorance is not an excuse to an individual’s age”. In New York, third-degree rape is a charge levied when the victim is under the age of consent, which is 17 years of age.

Victims Assistance Services of WestCOP, Inc. in collaboration with Barbara Rome, RN, SANE-A will be providing a four-day, 40-hour Adult/Adolescent SANE training course based on the New York State DOH protocol, the National protocol and the IAFN standards for SANE education.

 

Victims Assistance Services coordinates the Westchester County SANE Program.  This training will take place at their main office in Elmsford from 8am-6pm, on January 28^th, 2010 through January 31^st, 2010.  If you are a RN, NP or PA interested in taking this training, in order to specifically work as a SANE in our county-wide program, please send a cover letter and resume via email to mlaaksonen@westcop.org or via fax to 914-345-3513 to the attention of Michele Laaksonen, Sexual Assault Program Manager I.    The training fee is $250.  The deadline for training registration is January 1^st, 2010.  Due to space limitations, we will be accepting a restricted number of applicants.   

 About the trainer:  Barbara Rome is an Assistant Professor at Westchester Community College and emergency room nurse and nursing supervisor at Northern Westchester Hospital.  She is a nationally and New York state certified Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner and has been practicing as a SANE in both Putnam and Westchester County for over ten years.  Barbara has been called to testify in criminal trial and before the grand jury on numerous occasions.  She holds a Master of Science degree from Mercy College.  

Victims Assistance Services is a component of Westchester Community Opportunity Program Inc., a private not-for-profit, multipurpose social service agency dedicated to helping people and changing lives.