Rape Victims Shouldn't Have To Wait; House Bill Demands Change

OLYMPIA, WA - Inspired by the harrowing story of a woman named Hailey, who spent four hours at a Washington hospital waiting for help following a sexual assault by four men, the House of Representatives on Thursday unanimously approved a bill that would change how hospitals handle sexual assault cases.

By imposing a universal policy across all hospitals regarding how they handle the care of sexual assault victims, House Representatives hope to prevent anyone else from experiencing the trauma felt by Hailey.

"Imagine getting gang raped by four men, and showing up at the hospital, and waiting four long hours before they told you that you went to the wrong hospital — that they have no sexual assault kits," Rep. Michelle Caldier, R-Port Orchard, said on the House floor this week. "That's what happened to a young woman named Hailey. After the most harrowing night that she endured, she sat at that hospital for four hours before the staff told her she was at the wrong hospital."

It was nine hours after her assault before Hailey was properly tested with a rape kit, Caldier said.

"It took her that long to get the evidence to prosecute her rapists," she said. "That's wrong."

Caldier's bipartisan-supported initiative, officially House Bill 1016, would require hospitals to inform a rape victim of the facility's inability to process their case within two hours of their arrival. Hospitals that do not comply with the bill would risk a $2,000 civil penalty.

"This bill would tell the hospital it has two hours to inform the victim if it does not have the appropriate staff or kits available to do the proper sexual assault tests," Caldier said. "I want what happened to Hailey to never happen to another sexual assault victim again."

While unanimous support indicates this bill is a step in the right direction, not all who stood in support were absolutely satisfied with the bill's language.

"I think we're being too kind with this bill," Rep. Dan Griffey, R-Allyn, said of the two-hour window. "I think within five minutes, somebody in admissions could tell victims those services aren't available at that hospital."

The bill is the first to pass the House during the 2019 legislative session. It will now head to the Senate for further consideration, officials said.

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Image via Washington State House Republicans