Nova Scotia Health has ceased providing a specialized nurse for collecting evidence from victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) who have not experienced sexual assault due to unintended consequences in the legal system. The Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program (SANE), which commenced in 2000, recently extended its services to include IPV cases without sexual assault. This expansion allowed IPV victims to consult with a specially trained sexual assault nurse examiner regardless of sexual assault occurrence.
According to Janelle Comeau, the director of Nova Scotia Health’s violence prevention intervention and response program, the program faced challenges in some instances. Victims would provide statements to the nurse and police, leading to minor discrepancies. Comeau mentioned that these differences in statements, although normal over time, were causing issues for survivors in court as they were being questioned.
Comeau highlighted that unnecessary DNA collection was also being conducted by the nurses in cases without sexual assault. She noted that the IPV survivors were already aware of their abuser’s identity, typically their intimate partner, making DNA collection redundant in such cases.
The program’s inclusion of IPV cases without sexual assault ceased in December, following feedback from partners, including the public prosecution service, about the inadvertent trauma caused by the program’s approach in court questioning. Despite this, Dawn Ferris, the executive director of the Cumberland County Transition House Association, supported the decision after understanding the reasoning behind it.
Ferris acknowledged the challenges faced by women in court processes, where discrepancies in statements are used against them. Although the support attempt did not yield the desired results, Ferris advocated for maintaining certain aspects of the program, such as providing immediate privacy to IPV patients upon hospital arrival.
Ferris emphasized the persistent need to explore alternative ways to assist women, especially given the increasing cases of domestic violence. She stressed the importance of adopting a more trauma-informed approach within systems to better address the issue.
Comeau assured that IPV victims not subjected to sexual assault would still receive necessary community support. She clarified that there have been no reductions in funding or staffing for the SANE program, which will continue to prioritize services for sexual assault victims.
In conclusion, while the program’s approach to IPV cases without sexual assault has been discontinued, efforts are ongoing to enhance support for survivors of intimate partner violence.