CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Nine out of ten sexual assaults go unreported in the state of Texas. While reasons vary, a common obstacle to forensic care often comes from lack of access to specialized nursing and advocacy.
To answer this problem on a local scale, the Coastal Bend Advisory Council (CBRAC) is partnering with the Texas Forensic Center of Excellence (TXFNE) and the Purple Door to offer a wide-reaching solution for assault survivors.
Starting at midnight the night of June 13, 11 medical centers across the Coastal Bend will begin to offer forensic care services on a 24/7 basis. Five locations will operate within Nueces County, with at least one site also opening in each of the following counties: Aransas, Bee, Jim Wells, Kleberg, San Patricio and Refugio.
Under the program, each center will have access to a specialized nurse from the community who can provide forensic care and testing within 90 minutes of a survivor’s arrival. During the same visit, a Purple Door advocate will be dispatched to the center to offer emotional support, advocacy, and counseling services to the survivor…