Teen assault victim forced to wait two days for forensic exam

A Townsville woman, drugged and raped at age 19 by a stranger, was forced to wait more than two days for a forensic exam, calling it the “most traumatic part of the incident.”

A Townsville woman, drugged and raped at age 19 by a stranger, was forced to wait more than two days for a forensic exam, calling it the “most traumatic part of the incident.”

This harrowing delay isn’t unique. Many victims of sexual assault across Queensland can face hours — sometimes days — of waiting for these critical exams.

The Fair Agenda, a women’s advocacy group, is spearheading a campaign to ensure victims receive timely medical care.

According to Daisy Gardener, a Fair Agenda campaign manager, the delays can often exacerbate trauma as patients are told to not change clothes, shower, drink or go to the bathroom.

“Victim survivors are told in the meantime not to shower to help preserve evidence while they’re waiting long hours for help, and it’s particularly bad for Queenslanders in rural, regional, and remote areas,” she said.

She added, “Specialist services are telling us that this is really exacerbating the trauma that’s already been experienced by victim survivors, and it’s just really unacceptable to force people to wait to be able to access this kind of care.”

Joining as a voice for the campaign is Townsville sexual assault and domestic violence advocate Evie Clayton, who knows just how hard it is to access forensic medical examinations first-hand.

“No one should have to endure the ordeal of driving for hours, waiting for days, and being flown to another city to access critical healthcare services,” Ms Clayton said.

In 2021, Evie Clayton woke up in extreme pain after attending an event the night previous.

After trying to ease it with a hot shower and pain relief the pain never ebbed and she was forced to drive two hours from the remote station she was working on to Hughenden Health Service.

“I had little recollection at the time … and I’d spoken to the nurse, and she said, ‘it sounds like you’ve been raped’, and I said I think that’s what has happened because the symptoms were lining up,” Ms Clayton said.

Unfortunately, the remote health facility was ill-equipped to conduct a forensic medical examination.

They told Ms Clayton that a male doctor could be guided through the procedure remotely, something that Ms Clayton was not comfortable with.

“I told them that they need to take me to a hospital that has someone who is trained to do this test, a woman, I’m not having a man do it,” Ms Clayton said.

“The royal flying doctors service flew me to Townsville because there was really no other option … but that meant I had to wait two and a half days and I had showered because I hadn’t realised what had happened to me,” Ms Clayton said.

“If I hadn’t showered earlier, I wouldn’t have been allowed to shower for two and a half days.”

In Townsville University Hospital, Ms Clayton was finally examined by a female practitioner, supported by another nurse and a personal support person.

The Fair Agenda campaign is urging the Queensland Government to improve access to forensic medical examinations for sexual assault survivors, especially in remote and regional areas.

While the government has announced plans to establish services in public hospitals, Fair Agenda remains concerned about access for rural communities.

The campaign highlights the need for more forensic nurse examiners and increased availability of trauma counseling, as some survivors are waiting up to 12 months for support, which is deemed “unacceptable” by campaign manager Daisy Gardener.

Townsville Hospital and Health Service (HHS) says it is dedicated to providing timely and comprehensive forensic medical examinations for sexual assault survivors across regional, rural, and remote areas.

According to THHS, a robust training program, in collaboration with Forensic Medicine Queensland, ensures that medical staff are well-equipped to handle these sensitive cases.

A trained forensic examiner is available 24/7 in Townsville, with a response time of just 10 minutes for those presenting at the emergency department.

Forensic Medical Examination Kits are also accessible at all Townsville HHS facilities, and Forensic Medicine Queensland offers 24/7 phone support for medical officers conducting exams.

In addition, psychosocial support and ongoing counselling are provided for survivors, and there are no out-of-pocket costs for forensic exams, treatments, or testing.

Originally published as Teen assault victim forced to wait two days for forensic exam