Connecticut Bob probably had the best blog-post of 2006 when he used Mapquest to contextualize the implications of Joe Lieberman’s ‘rape gurney moment’. If you don’t remember, Sen. Lieberman said he supported the practice of Catholic Hospitals in Connecticut of denying emergency contraception to victims of rape. Here’s how Holy Joe put it:
“In Connecticut, it shouldn’t take more than a short ride to get to another hospital.”
However, Sen. Lieberman did not offer any opinion on whether victims of rape should be forced to pay for their emergency contraception (after completing their short ride) nor whether they should pay over a thousand dollars for the standard rape kit that helps identify the perpetrator. It’s ironic that Sen. Lieberman and Gov. Sarah Palin wound up as the two finalists for John McCain’s vice-presidential pick. It’s ironic because Sarah Palin’s police chief in Wasilla, Alaska, opposed providing free rape kits because it would cost the town between $5000 and $14000 a year.
While the Alaska State Troopers and most municipal police agencies have covered the cost of exams, which cost between $300 to $1,200 apiece, the Wasilla police department does charge the victims of sexual assault for the tests.
Wasilla Police Chief Charlie Fannon does not agree with the new legislation, saying the law will require the city and communities to come up with more funds to cover the costs of the forensic exams.
“In the past we’ve charged the cost of exams to the victims insurance company when possible. I just don’t want to see any more burden put on the taxpayer,” Fannon said.
According to Fannon, the new law will cost the Wasilla Police Department approximately $5,000 to $14,000 a year to collect evidence for sexual assault cases.
“Ultimately it is the criminal who should bear the burden of the added costs,” Fannon said.
It’s kind of hard to make the rapist pay for the exam if you don’t do the exam in the first place. It’s important to understand that Sarah Palin hired Mr. Fannon and has said that he was the best hire she ever made. It’s also important to understand the context of Mr. Fannon’s comments.
Gov. Tony Knowles recently signed legislation protecting victims of sexual assault from being billed for tests to collect evidence of the crime, but one local police chief said the new law will further burden taxpayers.
The governor signed House Bill 270, sponsored by Rep. Eric Croft, D-Anchorage, outside the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) exam room at Alaska Regional Hospital. In attendance at the signing were members of victims advocate groups, law enforcement agencies and legislators.
The new law makes it illegal for any law enforcement agency to bill victims or victims insurance companies for the costs of examinations that take place to collect evidence of a sexual assault or determine if a sexual assault did occur.
“We would never bill the victim of a burglary for fingerprinting and photographing the crime scene, or for the cost of gathering other evidence,” Knowles said. “Nor should we bill rape victims just because the crime scene happens to be their bodies.”
In other words, the law was already passed and Mr. Fannon just wanted to complain about it. I doubt John McCain was really thinking about it, but it is telling about his character that he whittled down his choices to one person that wants victims of rape to take taxi rides until they can find a hospital willing to provide emergency contraception and another person that wants rape victims to pay for their forensic exam. Did I mention that the New York Times reported on February 21, 2008 that John McCain was boinking Vicki Iseman, who is not his wife?
