NASHVILLE, Tenn. (HAGGARD) — Up until this fall, rape survivors could only go to Nashville General Hospital if they wanted to have a rape kit performed. Now a new non-hospital setting called the SAFE Clinic can also accommodate victims. Nashville nonprofit the Sexual Assault Center opened the clinic in September.
CEO and president of the Sexual Assault Center Rachel Freeman says it’s extremely important for people to have options after they’ve been assaulted.
“We need to make sure that rape survivors have more options and we want to work towards helping them regain power and control and creating a trauma-informed victim and survivor centered space,” Freeman says.
Freeman says the Metro Nashville Police Department is training employees to know that the clinic is an option. But victims don’t have to call the police to access the clinic. Freeman says often people won’t call the police when they’re assaulted — particularly if they’re undocumented immigrants, if they don’t trust the police, if they have a criminal history, if they’re sex worker, or if they’re under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
“Sexual assault is never the fault of the victim or the survivor,” Freeman says. “Nobody can do anything to deserve being sexual assaulted. So it’s really important to make sure we stand up and say: ‘It’s not your fault. We believe you. And we’re here to help.’”
Freeman says it’s essential for people to get an exam within 96 hours of an incident to preserve evidence in case they do decide to press charges. She says she hopes the clinic will help victims step forward after abuse.