Sexual Assault Topics - SART (Sexual Assault Response Team)


What is SART?
	Note: SART centers are being created all over the country, and there are several in Alaska. In Anchorage, SART opened on November 18, 1996. To view other SART centers, view our LINKS page.
	The Sexual Assault Response Team is made up of three components:
		Law Enforcement This is either a State Trooper or a police officer from APD. This component of the team takes the victim’s statement and does the investigation.
		Nurse Examiner This is a specially-trained Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (sometimes referred to as a SANE) who serves as the medical component of the team. The nurse gathers the forensic evidence, asks necessary medical questions and attends to any medical needs that are present.
		STAR Advocate The Advocate’s role is solely to support the victim. The Advocate can be present during both questioning and evidence collection. The victim dictates to what degree the Advocate provides support, from asking the Advocate to leave to having the Advocate be present for the entire process.
	Why is SART Important?
		Before SART, victims were made to wait in hospital emergency waiting rooms. Because a rape victim’s injuries usually weren’t life-threatening, more critical cases were the priority. It wasn’t unusual for a victim to wait 4, 6, or even 8 hours. When victims were seen, they were asked repeatedly for the details of the assault, by the intake nurse, doctor, law enforcement, etc. With SART, the three components of the team come together at the same time. The victim tells her/his story once, keeping further feelings of victimization to a minimum.
		Additionally, since emergency room personnel weren’t specially trained on rape examinations, evidence collection was limited. At SART, there is a colposcope which is a special instrument that magnifies tissue, showing injuries, tears and bruising that might not otherwise be visible. This not only provides a more in-depth medical assessment of the victim, but also provides better forensic evidence for trial.
		n the next few years, it is hoped that Anchorage will start seeing an increase in arrests and convictions of sexual assaults as a result of SART.