| What is a Sexual Assault Kit? |
Introduction The following section deals with the collection of evidence from a sexual assault patient and is an extract from the follwing website http://www.sexualassaultkits.co.za/ which has been set up by the manufacturers of the Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kits (SAECKS). It is hoped that the below section and aforesaid website, detailing how to use a SAECK will be scrutinised by both medical officers and nurses alike for a better and more comprehensive understanding of how to properly utilise the SAECK. The evidence collected from a sexual assault patient is key in ensuring that forensic evidence collected can ultimately lead to the prosecution of the perpetrator or the exoneration of the wrongly accused. Instructions to the patient The patient must first report to the nearest police station in order to report the incident so that an official case can be opened. Only then can the collection of physical evidence proceed. This will ensure that the necessary evidence collection kits are obtained. The patient should be advised not to do the following:
Request the patient to bring along a set of replacement clothing, including shoes, if possible. Note – if the patient has done any of the above, document it, and still proceed with the evidence collection. Instructions to the healthcare practitioner regarding the attending police officer It is not necessary for the police officer to be present during the evidence collection procedure. Instruct the police officer to wait outside and continue with the examination. When the procedure is completed hand the collected evidence to the attending police officer and remember to sign the relevant documentation for transfer of evidence. Photographing the patient The patient may be photographed to help the healthcare practitioner remember important information such as bruises, bite marks, appearance of the patient or the state of clothing worn. To identify the patient the healthcare practitioner can stick a barcode from the outer box onto the patient’s body. Paediatric Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kit A Paediatric Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kit is available for the collection of evidence from patients up to the age of 12 years. General Notes
Evidence Collection from a Patient of Sexual Assault Every sexual assault patient must at least be examined using a sexual assault evidence collection kit. A clothing collection kit can be used to collect additional items of clothing from the patient. The body fluid evidence collection kit can be used to collect extra body fluid deposits from the patient’s body. Using the Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kit The sexual assault evidence collection kit box is sealed with one tamper-evident seal that must be broken to access the kit. If this seal is not intact do not use the kit. If there is a red dot on the outer packaging of an evidence collection kit, it is an indication that this specific kit was subjected to additional quality control procedures. Open the sexual assault evidence collection kit by breaking the tamper-evident seal. The contents of the sexual assault evidence collection kit are as follows:
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