Article archive / January 1, 2015
Originally published: . Volume 6, No. 1. Source pages: 3.
Specifics to be set out for victims of sexual assault, “Forensic Medical Exam”
An Executive Order was published in the December issue of Louisiana Register listing the duties of government agencies for assisting victims of sexual assault. In the two- page Order, Governor Jindal instructs the Crime Victims Reparations Board, in consultation with the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement, to revise its administrative policies and develop a list of eligible medical expenses related to the forensic medical examination for victims of sexual assault.
He also instructs the Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) and the Department of Public Safety to jointly convene a group to formulate a definition for “Forensic Medical Exam” as it relates to the crime of sexual assault. One of the goals is to ensure that all charges are included in that definition and are not chargeable to the assault victim.
The Governor also tells the DHH, through the medical directors of each of its nine regional Health Service Districts, to coordinate a sexual assault response plan. The plan must be in by February 1.
The Governor introduces the topic with, “All government, of right, originates with the people, is founded on their will alone, and is instituted to protect the rights of the individual and for the good of the whole. Its only legitimate ends are to secure justice for all, preserve peace, protect the rights, and promote the happiness and general welfare of the people. …”
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