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Alleged Rape At COC Prompts Talk About Santa Clarita Resources For Sexual Assault Victims

Ed. Note: This story is the first of several in a continuing series that looks at how sexual assault investigations are conducted in the Santa Clarita Valley, looking at local resources, law enforcement and community involvement.

A recent alleged rape at COC reminded Santa Clarita that for all the amenities afforded the SCV, a sexual assault treatment center is not one of them.


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The nearest Center for Assault Treatment Services is a Northridge-based facility that’s actually “co-located” at a facility in Van Nuys, according to Joni Novosel, director of Northridge Hospital’s Center for Healthier Communities and the Center for Assault Treatment Services.

The facility treated between 85 and 117 patients per month last year, about 1,112 victims in total, and a little over half (56 percent) were children under that age of 18, according to statistics from the center.

Locally, data from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department indicates the station has received 30 reports of forcible rape for 2017 (as of August 5), which is five fewer than the same time last year. There ended up being a total of 59 reports for all of 2016. Both numbers represent a significant rise from the reported figure from five years ago, when there was 34 for the year. However, Novosel also speculated the uptick, which has also been seen at the CATS, might be a result of more reporting of what’s going on, as opposed to a significant increase in attacks.

Law enforcement agencies, including the Los Angeles Police Department and the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, for example, refer victims of sexual assault specifically to the CATS for a number of reasons, Novosel said.

Which is important because assault victims require the specialized care that a Sexual Assault Response Team is trained to provide, said Linda Davies, executive director of the Domestic Violence Center for Santa Clarita.

From a previous story: Sexual Assault Alleged At COC’s Valencia Campus Under Investigation

“It’s very hard for us to find people who can deal with the needs that our clients have,” Davies said, noting the local lack of such specialized care locally prompted the DVC to create trainings to share some information so community members understand the needs and where to find resources, among other information.

“One of the challenges is that (sexual assault investigation) is a very specialized field,” she added. “A sexual assault is something that really is going to haunt a person for the rest of their life.”

One of the advantages of having a victim go to the CATS, as opposed to a regular hospital, is the privacy and seclusion, as assault victims, more so than most crime victims, have difficulty in talking about their experience, Novosel said.

The CATS also seeks a holistic approach to treatment, which means that in addition to a medical exam and a forensic interview, an iRecord system helps investigators collect evidence that can be preserved for a trial that could come one, two or even three years later in some cases, and in rare cases, even longer.

The CATS also offers legal resources for victims, contacts for law enforcement officers and perhaps one of the most important things, counseling for victims for as long as necessary through programs such as Strength United, which is a victim advocates group.

The difficulty in such an assault is that the emotional and mental effects linger well beyond any physical injury, and can be triggered by a number of different ways, said Larry Schallert, assistant director of COC’s Student Health and Wellness Center, which also partners with Strength United for victim advocacy.

“If you’ve been sexually assaulted, (when another incident occurs in the community) it’s going to be bringing stuff up for you,” Schallert said. “If a woman or man has been sexually assaulted recently or even a long time ago, and if you’re reading about such an incident, it’s a painful reminder of that trauma.”

There are also numerous resources offered students at College of the Canyons if such a sexual assault is reported, including connecting the student, if they choose, with an advocate from Strength United, according to college officials.

Privacy laws as well as campus policy are designed to give the student the option on what he or she would like to pursue with respect to disclosure and treatment regarding an assault, he said.

“The person has a lot of choice,” Schallert said, regarding how the law and policy are set up, “and we want them to have a choice. It’s not good for (the victim) if the choice is taken out of their hands.”

College officials could not comment on the most recent sexual assault allegation, which was reported to law enforcement officials a week ago, due to state and federal laws regarding privacy.

However, campus policy prompted the following email from Assistant Superintendent Michael Wilding regarding the alleged assault:

“The alleged perpetrator, a student, approached a female acquaintance, also a student, and allegedly coerced her into going with him to a secluded location in a campus building. When they were alone, he assaulted her. The accused student has been identified and removed from the campus community. He has been ordered to stay away from the College and all College events until the case has been completely resolved.”

Strength United, a CSUN-based communitywide collaboration that “offers an interdisciplinary approach to ending abuse and violence through the collaboration of mental health professionals, educators, researchers, students and volunteers” would be the closest resource. There is a Strength United representative who works closely with COC’s Student Health Center, offering training and outreach, Schallert said. COC also refers students to Strength United or the local Domestic Violence Center when a need arises.

As far as other local trauma treatment centers for sexual assault, there’s also one in Antelope Valley, Ventura County and in Santa Monica, Novosel said, mentioning other providers who offer similar service.

“If a victim wants to have a medical exam and get DNA and prosecute their attacker, that’s when the police bring them to us,” said Novosel. “There are no charges to any victims for our services.”

While the recent increased awareness in the media regarding community problems associated with domestic violence and sexual assault has helped, one of the biggest helps would be more community support, Davies said, noting that too has grown in recent years.

“There’s been conversation at the local level,” Davies said about bringing a CATS to Santa Clarita, “but it’ll take funding.”

The local numbers for Strength United are 818-886-0453 and 661-253-0258. The number for the Santa Clarita Valley Domestic Violence Center is 661-259-8175. If someone feels they are in immediate danger, they should call 911.

 


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Alleged Rape At COC Prompts Talk About Santa Clarita Resources For Sexual Assault Victims

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About Perry Smith

Perry Smith is a print and broadcast journalist who has won several awards for his focused, hyperlocal community coverage in several different regions of the country. In addition to five years of experience covering the Santa Clarita Valley, Smith, a San Fernando Valley native, has worked in newspapers and news websites in Los Angeles, the Northwest, the Central Valley and the South, before coming to KHTS in 2012. To contact Smith, email him at Perry@hometownstation.com.