Rape Victim Billed For Evidence Costs

Rape Victim Billed For Evidence Costs

www.click2houston.com

HOUSTON -- Victims of sexual assault are getting bills, rejection letters and pushy calls from bill collectors while a state crime victims' fund sits full of cash

I'm the victim, and yet here I am. I'm asked to pay this bill and my credit's going to get hurt," said a single mom from Houston.

She received bills marked, "delinquent," after she visited a hospital where police told her to have evidence gathered. Officers assured her she would not pay a dime for that rape kit to be handled.

"That was unreal," she said. "I never thought I'd be out anything for what I went through

(visit the link for the full news article)

Mod Edit: Review This Link: Instructions for the Breaking News Forums: Copy The Exact Headline



[edit on 5/9/2009 by semperfortis]

MODS, this is the second time i'm making this thread
I keep getting errors when I click submit.

Anyhow, if you read the comments on that page it seems alot of people have experienced something similar.

Firstly didn't know Rape was that common in Houston, secondly even more that they have to pay for it.

I have a niece in Houston man.

Don't mess with Texas?

www.click2houston.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Mod Edit: Review This Link: Instructions for the Breaking News Forums: Copy The Exact Headline

[edit on 5/9/2009 by semperfortis]

This is the same in Washington state.

Victims pay for their own rape kits.

Next they will be telling victims to have the baby.

That is absolutely disgusting. Not a surprise though.

Afterall, we live in a culture that says: "If you dress provacative, you are asking to be raped".

With that kind of victim-blaming, it is no surprise that we are now wanting victims to pay for the CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION(which is what this truly is)

I would challenge anyone to find any other circumstance where the victim is forced to pay for the investigation. I dont believe it exists.

I agree - it's an outrage. A lot of people were appalled when they learned that Sarah Palin instituted this policy in Wasilla. She was the one made this change and removed the funding for rape kits. Rape victims in Wasilla had to pay for their own rape kits after that.

I completely agree that this seems highly discriminatory against women. Were I a rape victim and asked to pay for the kit I would absolutely raise hell. What happens to victims who have no money at the time?

Absolute insanity.

I'm trying really hard to understand this. I suppose other crime victims such as shooting, stabbing, or battery victims may be responsible for their own medical bills?

Trying to be understanding, I could have understood that part. But what makes absolutely no sense is that this is not necessarily medical treatment. These rape kits and testings are actually a part of the investigation. You don't bill the owners of a home where a murder was committed. You don't bill a victim of a car jacking to collect evidence from the premises.

Likewise, in a case of the rape, the woman's body is the crime scene. I don't see how this is acceptable at all. This would simply be part of the police work. Especially considering how there is a surplus of $50-60 million dollars for these cases every year.

Didn't Sarah Palin, do away with this in her state of Alaska? Yet women voters hated her... boggling, but thats beside the point.

It's not surprising, if your shipped to war there are talks that you pay for your injuries.

CPessimisstic, I took a rape education class about a year ago, I learned that dress has nothing to do if you get raped or not, it's the control and power that does it. That scared me!

American Health Care needs a huge makeover, maybe we could get TY to come do it, (Extreme Home makeover guy for those who don't know)?

AshleyD, I agree with you, the body in a rape victim, is in fact a crime scene, but if we get out of it from the point of how disgusting it is, if I was stabbed, would I not have to pay for the wound to be fixed? I'm not sure thats why i'm asking, but I think I would.

It's a tough one, honestly though, the humane side of me screams they shouldn't have to pay for it, and the inhumane side, silently agrees with the humane side.

(I can feel the flames coming, but I think it's a reasonable arguement)

[edit on 8-5-2009 by Republican08]

To me this is paramount to declaring open season on women to be raped. Many single women live at below the poverty level incomes. And why would anyone have expected a victim of a stabbing or murder attempt to pay for their own medical treatment in any case? Do people in the US really not get issues, and really not stand up in numbers to protest these things, or write tons of letters? You need to stick up for each other for each other against every one of these draconian measures!

[edit on 8-5-2009 by mystiq]

Can't even finish reading it. Makes me feel sick.

What is this world coming too? Why should i woman have to pay for the consequences of something she never even wanted in the first place.

Originally posted by Republican08
AshleyD, I agree with you, the body in a rape victim, is in fact a crime scene, but if we get out of it from the point of how disgusting it is, if I was stabbed, would I not have to pay for the wound to be fixed? I'm not sure thats why i'm asking, but I think I would.

That is what I was trying to touch on in my previous post but tried to point out the difference.

For instance, I suppose if you were stabbed and had to go to the ER and get stitches or what not, you would be responsible for the bill (and surely there would be some sort of victim's fund you could apply to). Not terribly sure how that works.

However, you should not be charged for the process of taking the finger prints from the knife, the questioning of witnesses, the photos of the footprints taken at the scene, etc.

Yet, that is part of what a rape kit is. It is the gathering of the evidence via vaginal swab tests, pubic hair combing, examining the vagina for signs of trauma, etc. In other words, that is not treatment- that is 'investigating the crime scene.' So by no means should the rape victim be charged for that.

Unless some serious battery occurred along with the rape, most rape victims are simply administered a morning after pill to guard against pregnancy and a gosh awful fizzing drink to guard against STD's. That's really the only treatment received. So for the rape kit to take the semen or pubic hair samples would be like taking the fingerprints from the knife.

I see no reason for the victim to be charged for this. That's what I was trying to get at. Hope that clarifies things. lol

reply to post by AshleyD


Ok, I understand it more clearly now from that.

Ergo I'm for it now. Rape Kit, should be paid for my the investigators, not the victim. Makes more sense now.

Frightening times, frightening times. If only this wasnt a worry, just stop rapes from happening altogether.

Maybe it's time to bring back the Chastity belts, (I know its no laughing matter, but you have to see humour some time or another).

It's weird because when I read the news headline I figured it was maybe in Saudi Arabia or something.

North America wouldn't even have been my last guess, it wouldn't be a a guess at all in fact.

So what is this, open season on tent cities like it's congo?

My question is simple.

Where the frack is all of our taxes going?

I see schools closing because of the lack of funds, roads with severe pot holes, home owners having to foot the bill for broken sidewalks that border "their" own property, zoos closing, and now the current trend is to people have pay for the own public emergency issues.(btw, this list is ect, ect, ect. lol)

When are we the tax paying people going to demand to see an itemization of where every single one of our pennys are going? It long over due people get active and start questioning these half assed crooked officals about it.

I'm all for fair taxes and what not but they damn best start showing where our money is going.




[edit on 8-5-2009 by Tyr Sog]

Originally posted by Tyr Sog
My question is simple.

Where the frack is all of our taxes going?

Over 800 bases(not including those in Iraq) in over 140 countries

Basically, you are funding imperialism

Originally posted by ModernAcademia

Originally posted by Tyr SogMy question is simple.
Where the frack is all of our taxes going?

Over 800 bases(not including those in Iraq) in over 140 countries
Basically, you are funding imperialism

Yes, but for clarity's sake you should say "You are paying to make other people rich".

You know, I'm sure you ladies aren't going to like this, but this does not declare open season on raped women, cause men to kill babies, or whatnot.. while most can empathize with your plight, at the same time, you're getting ready to charge a person with rape, a rather serious crime. The cost of mounting evidence against them should be on you. sorry.

its teh same fo rguys. sorry, heres your equal rights. welcome to them.

reply to post by CoffinFeeder


Have you ever been raped? Have a relative that was raped? A daughter, sister, mother, aunt?

If you had, I bet you wouldn't have typed what you just did. I pray that this never happens to somebody you love.

How disgusting for a rape victim to get a bill in the mail! It's like raping the person twice!

Errrm, wouldent rape kits be provided by the local ER or law enforcement agency? My local LE agency has civilian staff specially trained (they are certified RNs or NAs) to perform rape tests. To make a rape victim pay for his/her rape test kit is absurd.

Originally posted by CoffinFeeder
you're getting ready to charge a person with rape, a rather serious crime. The cost of mounting evidence against them should be on you. sorry.

No, sorry. Rape is a criminal matter- not a civil matter like a lawsuit. Therefore, it is the financial responsibility of the state to gather evidence, investigate, and prosecute.

I've never heard of a crime victim being billed for police work. So, no. 'Mounting evidence' should be the financial responsibility of the authorities.

If I report a robbery, the police are not going to send me a bill because they took fingerprints. Same thing with a rape kit. Or at least it should be.

its teh same fo rguys. sorry, heres your equal rights. welcome to them.

NOTHING to do with equal rights backlash.

And can you please cite me some examples of other crimes where the victims are billed for the investigation or collection of evidence? And men especially since you claim 'it's the same for guys?'

I'll say it one more time: Rape kits are part of the investigative process and evidence collection. They are not part of the medical treatment. This is a criminal matter that should be handled by the state.

And yet there is something intrinsically wrong with a system that does not provide full health care coverage to all people, or does not cover a victims health costs. And when I say wrong, I'm underemphasizing this underscored to infinity and beyond as its PURE EVIL!