Statewide SART Advisory Committee

Statewide SART Advisory Committee to Address Policy Issues and Forensic Exams for Non-Reporting Victims

FCASV has partnered with the Office of the Attorney General to convene a statewide SART (sexual assault response team) advisory committee to address policy issues at the state level. The SART builds on the efforts of the workgroup of multidisciplinary professionals that wrote the Guidelines for Forensic Examinations for Sexual Assault Victims Not Reporting to Law Enforcement. The committee makes recommendations for how communities can implement new statutory requirements and suggests new legislation and policies that benefits sexual assault victims and the agencies that serve them.
The SART advisory committee is made up of representatives from a broad range of disciplines and entities whose work brings them into contact with victims of sexual violence. Invited professions include members of sheriffs’ offices, police departments, the courts, rape crisis programs, the Department of Corrections, hospital administrations, law enforcement associations, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement crime labs, state attorneys’ offices, sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) programs, universities, disability agencies and survivor organizations.

The SART Advisory Committee took up a number of issues during the 2010-2011 fiscal year that impact the lives of sexual assault survivors and the range of professionals that work with them.  The committee specifically examined five distinct areas where improvements could be made to the response to sexual assault victims or where assistance could be provided to communities around sexual violence.  The members divided into five subcommittees that worked on the items outlined below.

The subcommittees met several times by teleconference and webinar over the course of the year, and the full SART Advisory Committee met four times—twice in person and twice by conference call.  This report encompasses the results of the committee’s work, ranging from training and resource materials designed and distributed to local SARTs and allied organizations, to recommendations for improvements in system response, to analyses of current practices.

Interjurisdictional Subcommittee

Members of this subcommittee outlined the difficulties victims encounter who are assaulted in one county and live in or move to another county.  The report offers recommendations for how rape crisis victim advocates, state attorneys’ offices, law enforcement agencies and hospitals can collaborate to provide the best response to victims regardless of where the attack occurred and in which jurisdiction the victim currently resides.

Evidence Storage for Non-reporting Victims Subcommittee

In this section, subcommittee members address the issue of storing sexual assault evidence kits for non-reporting victims.  They recommend law enforcement agencies, particularly sheriffs’ offices, maintain custody of non-reporting evidence kits. The report lays out guidelines for storing the kits in a way that avoids impacting local and/or national crime reporting mandates while preserving the victim’s identity. 

 Elements of a Prosecutable Case Subcommittee

The subcommittee formed to examine how prosecutors across the state of Florida determine whether or not to prosecute non-stranger sexual battery cases involving victims 12 years of age and older.  The report provides the responses of 14 of Florida’s 20 state attorneys offices as to what evidence they require to file a sexual battery case and which factors mitigate for or against prosecuting these cases.

Grant Writing Subcommittee

In order to increase the number of sexual assault specific projects Florida communities engage it, the subcommittee decided to develop a template for completing the federal Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies and Enforcement of Protection Orders Program solicitation.  The subcommittee also will provide grant writing tips and tools on the Florida Council Against Sexual Violence website.

Public Awareness Campaign for Non-Reporting Forensic Exams Subcommittee

This subcommittee examined what it would take to develop a statewide media campaign to raise awareness among the general population about the availability of forensic exams for non-reporting victims.

2011 Statewide SART Advisory Committee Final Report

Elements of a Prosecutable Case Full Survey Results

2010 Statewide SART Advisory Committee Recommendations

Sexual Assault Evidence Kit Paperwork (Scroll down to find it on the A-Z Index)

Detailed Instructions for Sexual Assault Evidence Kit Paperwork (Scroll down to find it on the A-Z Index)

Sample Information Sheet for Non-reporting victims

Sexual Assault Response Team Resources