The Forensic Nurse

The sex scandal rocking the Penn State University this week is a clear illustration that mandatory reporting is a topic that needs greater education and awareness for both those in and outside of the medical profession.

 In case you are not familiar with the Penn State Sex Scandal story, Jerry Sandusky a former defensive football coach at PSU has been indicted on 40 counts ranging from child endangerment, to deviant sexual acts with a minor.

The crimes occured over a 15 year period and came to light to the univerisity over 12 years ago. Up until late last week, Mr. Sandusky was still allowed on the Penn State campus and had been seen on multiple occasions with children.

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.

 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.

HBO documentary films has just released a new 90 minute documentary about the Sex Crimes Unit of  New York City.  The film takes you through the history of the prosecution of sexual assaults, as well as SANE nurse training, and along with a few current trials being worked on.

 It is a must watch for DA’s, SANE nurses, forensics, and even victims of sexual assault in learning how the entire process of justice often works in these types of crimes.

The Relief Fund for Sexual Assault Victims was established in 2005 to collect donations that will aid sexual assault victims and advocacy programs in the United States impacted by disasters. The Fund is designed to:

• Support the needs of sexual assault survivors
• Support the needs of sexual assault advocacy program staff
• Assist with expanded direct service capacity needs
• Assist with prevention initiatives to protect evacuees from sexual violence
• Support relocation/rebuilding efforts for damaged sexual assault advocacy programs

100% of the donations will go to victims in affected areas. Administrative costs are being donated by the NSVRC.

 Checks or money orders may be sent to:
Relief Fund for Sexual Assault Victims
c/o National Sexual Violence Resource Center
123 North Enola Drive
Enola, PA 17025

Visit: http://www.nsvrc.org/relief-fund

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is offering a FREE online basic forensic DNA testing course geared specifically toward law enforcement, court officials and other forensic professionals.

The main goal of this course is to provide students with an understanding of the important role DNA plays in forensic science; introduce the steps involved in forensic DNA testing using the latest methods and technologies; and provide a basic understanding of the National DNA database system.

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

Click to Enroll:

https://www.forensic-training-network.com/cgi-bin/DJlinks.cgi?T=st-enroll.html&LANG=EN&ID=00019

In most cases the EIA (enzyme immunoassay), used on blood drawn from a vein, is the most common screening test used to look for antibodies to HIV. A positive (reactive) EIA must be used with a follow-up (confirmatory) test such as the Western blot to make a positive diagnosis. There are EIA tests that use other body fluids to look for antibodies to HIV. These include:

• Oral Fluid Tests – use oral fluid (not saliva) that is collected from the mouth using a special collection device. This is an EIA antibody test similar to the standard blood EIA test. A follow-up confirmatory Western Blot uses the same oral fluid sample.
• Urine Tests – use urine instead of blood. The sensitivity and specificity (accuracy) are somewhat less than that of the blood and oral fluid tests. This is also an EIA antibody test similar to blood EIA tests and requires a follow-up confirmatory Western Blot using the same urine sample.

Rapid Tests:

A rapid test is a screening test that produces very quick results, in approximately 20 minutes. Rapid tests use blood from a vein or from a finger stick, or oral fluid to look for the presence of antibodies to HIV. As is true for all screening tests, a reactive rapid HIV test result must be confirmed with a follow-up confirmatory test before a final diagnosis of infection can be made. These tests have similar accuracy rates as traditional EIA screening tests. Please visit the rapid HIV testing section for details.

Every year over a million women and children become enslaved into a world of sexual slavery. This problem is not just a problem in developing countries of the world, but very much a problem here in the United States as well. By some estimates between 150,000 and 300,000 are sold for sex here in the US.

On January 25, 2010 actors Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher launched a new charity organization called DNA aimed at putting an end to the global sex trafficking trade.

For More information visit http://demiandashton.org/

Many victims of sexual crimes live the remainder of their lives, or a good portion of it, in fear that they will be victimized again. They often want to see their attacker locked up forever as punishment for the torment they experienced.

 Some states actually do have laws on their books to do just that. Most people dont even know such laws exist. They are called civil commitment laws and basically say that when a person becomes and has repeatly shown to be an emminent threat to the community as a whole, the govenment has the ability to incarcerate that individual indefinately.   

“The primary goal is incapacitation, that is, protecting society from people who are predicted to be dangerous in the future,” said Eric Janus, author of “Failure to Protect” and dean at William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota. “The second goal is to provide treatment to these individuals.”

In 1990, Washington state became the first state to pass a civil commitment law specifically for violent sex offenders. Twenty states now have civil commitment laws.

Indefinate confinement of individuals to mental hospitals or treatment centers for those with severe mental illness has been acceptable in the United States since its close to its birth as a nation. Around turn of the 20th century many laws dealing with sexual psychopaths were passed as women gained more and more rights. But as the century progressed the laws were either repealed or rarely applied.

This week the United States Supreme Court is re-evaluating its position on civil commitment based on an appeal. They have upheld the use of such laws in the past when the goal has been rehabilitation and not further punishment. These laws can mandate indefinate treatment even after their criminal time behind bars has ended. Some argue that these treatments could happen while the person is incarcerated rather than after their sentancing.

The case being heard by the Supreme Court this week centers around a lay that has been used in as many as 77 cases where inmates were held in a federal prison in North Carolina under indefinate commitment.  “The justices will decide whether the program enacted under the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 is constitutional by infringing on a traditional state function”.

Alan DuBois, attorney for the federal prisoners, said it was wrong for the United States to claim a public safety argument when justifying continued incarceration.

“This statute is not written constitutionally,” he added. “It effectively does require no connection between the underlying criminal charge and the subsequent commitment. You can be in custody for any crime whatsoever. ”

Lawyer David Hargett convinced the Virginia Supreme Court that his client had a constitutional right to contest his civil commitment.

“I have found talking with people they are shocked to hear somebody can be sentenced by a judge, serve out that entire sentence and then say, ‘Wait a minute, we’re not going to let you go,’ ” Hargett said, calling it a legal “black hole.”

The full story can be viewed on cnn.com