NH's Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program & The NH Violence Against Women Campus Consortium Endorse Marsy's Law
NH’S SEXUAL ASSAULT NURSE EXAMINER PROGRAM & THE NH VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN CAMPUS CONSORTIUM ENDORSE MARSY’S LAW
Professionals working with survivors across New Hampshire announce their support for CACR 22.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Amanda Grady Sexton (603) 548-9377
CONCORD – Today, the NH Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Program and the NH Violence Against Women Campus Consortium announced their support for Marsy’s Law, a Constitutional amendment that would provide Constitutional rights to crime victims in NH. The NH SANE Program is the statewide organization that coordinates and oversees the trauma-informed medical care of NH sexual assault survivors. The NH Violence Against Women Campus Consortium is a collaborative partnership of representatives from higher education and community leaders that work to eliminate violence on campuses in the Granite State.
“Sexual assault nurse examiners are often the first to see a sexual assault survivor, and the first to discuss the options available to them with regard to both the medical forensic exam and their report to law enforcement,” said Jennifer Pierce-Weeks, NH SANE Program Director. “It takes a great deal of strength to come forward and seek help. It is critical to a survivor's recovery that they be treated with fairness and respect throughout the medical and criminal justice processes. The system needs to provide both meaningful and enforceable rights to victims of crime – they’ve already been through enough. That’s why we support Marsy’s Law.”
“The Campus Consortium is a multidisciplinary group of professionals working to prevent and address interpersonal violence on New Hampshire’s college campuses. The rates of victimization on college campuses are alarmingly high, and it is imperative that survivors at our colleges and universities have safe and reliable options when considering whether or not to come forward to report their experience,” said Amy Culp, Chair of the New Hampshire Violence Against Women Campus Consortium. “Providing victims with enforceable Constitutional rights is an important step towards making sure the students we work with know they will be treated with fairness and respect should they choose to report. We are proud to support Marsy’s Law to guarantee victims in our state the basic rights that they deserve.”
“We are grateful for the support of the incredible nurses in the SANE program and the committed multidisciplinary group of allies working on our college campuses. Marsy’s Law will help protect victims from further trauma being inflicted by the criminal justice system,” said Amanda Grady Sexton, Director of Public Affairs at the NH Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence and the State Director for Marsy’s Law for NH. “We look forward to working with the members of the NH SANE Program, representatives from our state’s colleges and universities, and thousands of other supporters across the state to establish Constitutional rights for victims of crime in NH.”
About the New Hampshire Violence Against Women Campus Consortium:
The New Hampshire Violence Against Women Campus Consortium is a statewide collaborative of New Hampshire colleges, universities, and professionals working collectively to develop and implement strategies to end interpersonal violence on NH’s campuses. The Consortium has participation from 23 NH colleges, both public and private, as well as the system office for the Community College System of New Hampshire, the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, and the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence and its member programs.
About the New Hampshire Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Program:
The SANE program is made up of registered nurses who have been specially trained to provide comprehensive, uninterrupted care to sexual assault survivors, including conducting the forensic collection of evidence. The goal of the SANE Program is to minimize the physical and psychological trauma to the victim and to maximize the probability of collecting and preserving the physical evidence of an assault for potential use in the legal system.
About Marsy’s Law for New Hampshire:
Marsy’s Law for New Hampshire represents two decades of advocates’ work to establish enforceable rights for victims of crime. In coordination with the NH Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence, Marsy’s Law for NH is a broad coalition of Granite Staters working to ensure that victims of crime in our state are treated with dignity, fairness, and respect and are provided with enforceable constitutional rights.
Follow Marsy’s Law for New Hampshire:
Twitter: @MarsysLawforNH #ML4NH Facebook: Marsy’s Law for New Hampshire Website: https://nh.marsyslaw.us/