Transcripts For CSPAN Mariska Hargitay Testifies On Combating Sexual Assault 20170616

Next, a hearing on ending Sexual Violence and clearing the backlog of untested rape kits that are used by Law Enforcement. Actress Mariska Hargitay who stars on law and sorter special victims unit testifies. The hearing ran nearly two hours. Good morning. Welcome to the first round table of the Bipartisan Task force to end Sexual Violence. On behalf of my fell he cochairs i want to welcome you all to our Exceptional Panel of witnesses as well as the members of the task force who have joined us here this morning. Thank you all for being here. This promises to be an insightful conversation on a number of issues affecting people in all our districts across our country. Ms. Pryor mr. Meehan, and i announced this during Sexual Assault Awareness Month with the goal of educating ourselves and our peers about the challenges the nation faces and the way we as representatives of the people can help combat sexual vinls in its many forms. I know my colleagues on the task force have their own reasons to be here. But for me, i saw this problem firsthand during my job as a prosecuting attorney. Sexual are focused on assault kits. They are used by a specifically trained nurse examiner, known as a sane nurse. The purpose is to collect any evidence left behind by an attacker. The problem is the nation faces a backlog. This is caused by variance in test procedures, lack of train, budget restrictions and generally a large case load. These untested kits represent victims, victim whors still waiting for justice. That is why this issue is a priority for this task force. Moreover we understand that without trained sane thursdays we are unable to collect the necessary evidence to go after perpetrator. We have a panel of witnesses today. We are pleased to welcome ms. Mariska hargitay, most know her as detective Olivia Benson on and as order s. V. U. , i told her, my daughter is in her first year of law school because she wants to follow up on that. What she really does is as a reallife advocate for victims of Sexual Assault. As a actress and advocate, ms. Hargitay has dedicated her time, talent and resources to be an ad cat. Weight wakened to the that victims carry, the weight of shame, pain, fear, darkness, and isolation. Inspired by their courage she decided to be part of a multiple education of multiple education and awareness campaigns around this issue. Shes made Public Service announcements to end the rape kit backlog, prevent child abuse and engage to end violence and abuse. She has also film maryland Public Service announcements with nbcs the more you know campaign and got milk and has lent her time and voice to other victims organizations in order to raise awareness and muchneeded Financial Support to their programming. Committing to end abuse, she spends as much time offscreen dealing with these crimes as she did on screen. We are pleased you are here to speak with us and look toward to hearing from you. D like to welcome our next advocate, ms. Mcmasters, from waco, texas. Shes a loving her, wife, entrepreneur and Sexual Assault survivor. She serves as a speaker, volunteer and Sexual Assault Response Team member for denton countys friends of the family rape crisis center, a National Rape abuse and insist network and a spokesperson for the Dallas Police Department Cold case program. She founded and is director of the sexual abuse victim empowering ministry and facilitator of sexual abuse support. We are honored to have you here to speak with us and look forward to your testimony. Our next witness, mr. Nathan james is an analyst for the research service. She focuses on state and local law enforce. , offender reentry, and forensic scientists sciences. His recent work focused on appropriations for the department of justice, the use of risk an Needs Assessment in criminal Justice System, the role of the federal government in promoting reforms and the analysis of reported increases of Violent Crime in cities across the United States and Law Enforcement militarization. Were glad to have your expert knowledge with you with us here today and look forward to working with you. Im pleased to announce the next two witnesses, my good friend, mike omalley, and our chief proth prosecutor, thank you both for traveling all the way from cleveland. Mike omalley was located was electedle to the prosecutors office. He knows it well, having been and he made a lot of prosecutors look good. His office prosecutes nearly 12,000 defendants and handles nearly 7,000 juvenile complaints annually. Prior to taking office he served as First Assistant safety director and a Cleveland City councilman he began his career as a probation officer while attending law school at night. Rick bell, his super sidekick has been an assistant prosecutor for 27 year, hes currently the special investigations divisions chief overseing the following task forces, cold case, crimes against children and Sexual Assault kit task force. Mr. Bell has supervised every unit of the Criminal Division including the major crime units and Community Based protection units. Were glad both of you could be here today and look forward to your testimony. Last but not least, dr. Jennifer mark wits. She hails from the International Association of forensic nurses. Shes a forensic nursing consultant who specializes in issues relating to Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence and strangulation, including forensic examination and professional development and curriculum. She provides expert testimony, case consultation an technical assistance, develops training material, resources and publications and is a forensic nurse examiner since 19956789 dr. Mark wits regularly served as faculty consultant for the jag, the marine corps and coast guard. She was named the distinguished fellow the International Association of forensic nurses. In 2012 she served as their president. Thank you for being here today and look forward to your testimony. Ill now hand it over to my fellow cochairs for their Opening Statement. S. Kuster. Mr. Kustoff i thank everyone or being with us for the kickoff to end Sexual Violence. I want to say, im delighted to thank ith us, mariska, you for your leadership and your advocacy and speaking out. Im happy to have our witnesses. We have a lot to learn and hopefully good practices to share. Jennifer and nathan, thank you for the work that you do. David said his reason for being here, my reason for being here is that over 40 years ago, as an undergraduate in college, i was assaulted, a few years after that, i was working as staff here on capitol hill. Jackie were working in offices next door to each other and we were sexually harassed. We had a name for it. And a few months after that, i was attacked walking home on capitol hill and i was able to get away. The reason i bring this up, not about my story but because it is so common. I didnt tell anyone any of these stories for 0 years. I didnt tell my husband, i didnt tell my sons or my own family. And the reason i now understand is because i thought it was my fault. I thought i was in the wrong place. I had done the wrong thing. It didnt make any sense to me why it would be my fault and it has taken me 40 years to understand that it certainly is not and i appreciate you. If our generation had been more courageous and spoken up, but im dedicated my life and here in a bipartisan way, men and women coming together. Our staff has done an extraordinary job. He time is now and maries ca said we have a moment. Our intention is to bring together members of congress to address Sexual Violence and some f the areas is k12 education, College Campus safety, Online Harassment and data election collection. But we are starting with the rape kit backlog because we understand that this is really said core and maries ca a society we are not caring about victims of Sexual Assault men and women. The trauma Sexual Assault and the forens sick exam, no survivor should experience the pain of having their kit back logged. There is no other crime we would not do this. The failure to test Sexual Assault kits allows rapists to remain on the streets and we know this from communities who have gone back to test and we will hear wt look at their back logs. Congress must continue to buil on the progress we have made and funding is important and we will be prepared to discuss that with you. Im eager to explore the important topics of access to nurse examiners. They provide survivors with compassion nature support for their short and longterm recovery. Unfortunately in communities across this country and particularly in Rural Communities such as my district in new hampshire, many survivors dont have access. Congress owes it to survivors to ensure everyone has access to a nurse. I thank my colleagues and i look forward to this discussion. I yield back. Thank you representative kuster. Representative meehan. Mr. Meehan i want to thank my colleagues for being part of this Bipartisan Task force and identifying the full gam hite i there isnt anything more important to kick it off than this issue. So i thank each of you for your presence and i thank you for your dedication to this issue to your professional work. As a former prosecutor, we have had the ability or the opportunity, i think, to engage with victims on a Broad Spectrum of issues. In my own sense, there was nothing more than dehow manizing than someone who has had to go through the crime of being sexually assaulted in and of itself. And its a different type of vick type of victim. And nobody considers themselves themselves if they are robbed on the side of the street as somehow as a participant and we see the victims beginning to question what their role and relationship is to this. So how we respond is every bit as important to that victim as the mechanics of this process that we are going through. And we, i think, have also seen some progress in this area, certainly from my time as a prosecutor, about a decade ago, to where we are today. But we know there is a long way to go. And i want to thank maries ca and your organization which has looked at the rape kit backlogs and you experienced by virtue of your professional work but those who opened themselves to you and that is often what we find is once somebody has a place to go, these stories are overwhelming in the form of not just the emotion, but this search for a place to help give me some closure. I think its the issue, give me back control of this thing that was stolen from me. And i thank you for allowing us to go on this journey together. I will note and i hope everyone here will Pay Attention to a film that was put together by last gitay and released night and i have identified as remarkable response. I wish you luck as you move forward and continue to use that as the voice of some victims who have experienced this and where we need to go to continue. Jennifer, i want to thank you for your work in this space. Because one of the important places we have made progress is n the Sexual Assault nurse exercise. And that First Experience posttrauma and how somebody is engaged and the importance of us not only being able to collect the evidence, but the humiliating process that could be a five to sixhour procedure. So we close with the idea with having had that procedure and now you have been doubly victimized, what happens with that evidence. And after going through all of that, we leave it sitting on a shelf. We have become part of the process. And michael, i thank you for your dedication and your office, because you are demonstrating there is an interest on the part of Law Enforcement to do this right. And most offices want to do what is right for the victims. This is issues of resources and sometimes not an appreciation of how we can do it better and what we can continue to do it to close it. I thank this remarkably experienced panel and my colleagues for putting this issue front and center and couldnt be more timely. And i wish you would allow us to press forward and work collectively on this issue. Very hard have to recall that experience over and over again and for our starstudded panels who are here ms. Speier if it werent for you, Joyful Foundation wouldnt be here and it wouldnt have been filmed and grateful for your longterm commitment. I look around this room and there are mostly women here. And we know the statistics that one in four women are probably going to be sexually assaulted in their lives and as we look at your faces and we know some of you have. And i wish we would have as many men in this room as we have women in this room because this issue will not be fully addressed until we have a complete understanding by both sexes of what really goes on. Over 30 years ago, i was county supervisor and one of the deputy d. A. s came in to meet with me and said we have a terrible time getting convictions on rape cases and i said tell me what the problem is. One of the problems was there wasnt a comprehensive investigation then and actual evaluation of the victim when they came into the emergency room. There was an issue around the chain of custody of the evidence and so that started my effort to try and address the issue, the conviction rate went way up. When there is commitment by people to do the right thing, we can do the right thing. There is no clear demonstration of our countrys lack of regard for Sexual Assault survivors than ignoring the growth backlog of Sexual Assault cases. E would never ever let the d. N. A. In a murder case sit on a shelf and it is commonplace to let the d. N. A. Of Sexual Assault victims sit on the shelf. The discrimination against survivors and lack of Response Teams and sex all assault exercise is an injustice committed against women because they are women. And we must refuse to let this injustice stand. I yield back. Hargitay ecognize ms. For her Opening Statement. Ms. Hargitay i want to thank you so much for your heartfelt comments and your passion for this work. Im speaking to you today as the president and founder of the joyful heart foundation. I just want to thank the task force for making the rape kit backlog by elevating this issue you are sending a powerful ssage to survivors of Sexual Assault. You are demonstrating that we must work to do everything we can to hold standards accountable and keep our communities safe. You have my full statement on record. I would like to use my time on how far we have come nrm addressing the untested rape kit backlog in recent years and that discussion cannot begin without acknowledging the significant sea change that is happening across this country creeded by the actions of the federal government. In 2014, congress created the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative to provide jurisdictions with critically needed resources to test backlog kits and create teams to investigate and prosecute related cases and address the need for victim notification and the impact of the grants cannot be be overstated. We have heard from Law Enforcement and prosecutors that the funds as well as the requirement to create a team to under take ry form are bringing communities together like never before. Hese resources are helping get serial criminals off the street and facilitating engagement and making neighborhoods safer. We have heard the same feedback from victim feed backs. And to implement reform and cat lies positive changes. I first testified in congress back in may, 2010 and the National Landscape today is very different. Then, we had no idea how many untested rape kits were sitting n shelves in crime labs. Advocates best guess was an estimate of 400,000 but now that number is disputed. Because most jurisdictions do not have systems for tracking, we cannot be sure of the total number. However, through Public Record we are beginning tore understand the scope of the backlog. Since 2010, more than 200 untested rape kits have been accounted for and 21 states and washington, d. C. Have passed laws requiring audits. En i test in 2010 there were no state rape kit reform laws. Today that trend has shifted. Since january 1, 2017, 71 rape kit reform bills have been introduced in 32 states and 10 states have laws. There is a National Campaign to pass reform legislation in all 50 states by 2020. Since 2010, 30 states have enacted some rape kit reform and texas became the first state in e nation to enact our best pillars. We are seeing a change in Law Enforcements understanding of the impact of trauma on survivors. Jurisdictions now understand this important per perfecttive and implementing trauma informed and victim centered practices that seek to avoid revictimization and further harm. We have seen progress, there is much more work to be done. Today, only eight states have laws requiring testing in current or back logged kits. That means the decision to send kits for testing is left up to the discretion of an individual. We must reverse that trend to ensure that every kit connected to a reported case is tested. The numbers dont lie. Testing all kits solves crimes and saves lives. The survivors legislative district should not determine the outcome of their case or the right to information. Thank you. Ll on behalf of all survivors across the country, i thank you for your attention on this issue and i look forward to continuing this dialogue. I know that you join me in commending the jurisdictions that are taking responsibility for reform and together we are committed to raising awareness. Thank you. Thank you very much. Oo i was only 13 years old at the time. It was hard. Because as a child, you are supposed to feel safe in your home especially your family is there. But kevin decided that he was going to attack me, put a knife to my throat and could have taken my life and that was the first part. My second part was when the police came out and i had to go to parker Memorial Hospital and do the exam. It was tedious. To me, they were incensetive. Was it your boyfriend, did you let him in the window. They made me feel like it was my fault. And my third part of my victimization, 25 years later, my kids were sitting on the shelf, that me as a child thinking, police were looking high and low for the guy that raped me. Surely you had some control of a child. And didnt discriminate against my skin color or female or my age or gender. Surely, you will look for the rapist that almost took the life of a child. I was disappointed and here i am. Over 30something years and i said three strikes you are out. No more. I will not stand for this. And not allow that that. And where i give my life and i give my everything to be a part of this country and i stand as an advocate today and i didnt believe in monsters as a child t kevin made me leave in monsters and these vicious monsters and we take on these hideous formations and we become dark. And get in these places that nobody understands. You begin to look at us differently. I thought as a straighta stupid hen he raped me in 1975, i thought something was wrong with me. I didnt understand why my grades were going down. I didnt understand why i didnt trust anyone. I didnt understand the things that were going through. I didnt have the services or the counseling or someone said we are going to get through this. I had to try to make it happen all on my own. My parents didnt understand. Im thankful today to be here, because i feel the passion that you have on this panel to say no more. I feel the passion that you feel for us and say we did not forget about you because i felt i was forgotten about and no one cared about what happened. I felt alone and december lated and i felt terrified and took on the form of a monster and i pretended that i was something i was not, wanting to be free, but i couldnt. But im thankful once again for the rape kit backlog and the antice system and just being advocate because im in a better place and im here for you and im here for all vicks tims. And im going to rescue and going to be a voice and let them know we are survivors. Im empowered because of things like this, the Bipartisan Task force. We are going to get together and put Everything Else aside. My life matters. I dont care what anybody says. I wore a mask for far too long. Im free. Im here and im going to use my voice and im going to smile and be happy. My life matters. Every victims lines matters. And im excited to be a part of this. And i thank you for your passion today. [applause] and representative Debbie Wasserman schulz who joined us here today. Now to mr. James for his testimony for Opening Statement. Congressman joyce, congressman kuster, ongresswoman spear i want to thank you for inviting me today to discuss the department of justices efforts to reduce rape kit back logs and increase the number of nurse exercise. Congressional guidelines require e to confine my remarks to the aspects of the matter under consideration at this Bipartisan Task force. I can discuss the programs related to rape kit back logs and i can answer but im limited to addressing issues within my fields of expertise. D. O. J. Have programs that are reducing rape kit back logs. And supporting victims and tracking systems and training Law Enforcement. The Sexual Assault forens sick tracking and reporting Program Provides funds to rape kits and track them as they move forward and provide the public on how they are being processed. Grants under this program cannot be used to test rape kits. Since 2010, congress has appropriated funding for a program. This funding can be used for the purposes in section 30 of the justice for all act and education and equipment related to the collection and analysis of d. N. A. Samples and those treating victims of Sexual Assault. D. O. J. Has several programs where funds can be reduced back logs but these are not the focus of the program. For example, n. I. Y. s Program Provides funding for analyzing the program. Funds under this program could be used to analyze evidence as part of the Sexual Assault kit. In addition, funds under us may be among other things to identify and conduct and develop policies for responding to back logs and training medical personnel. Finally, d. O. J. Has sore programs which provides funding for a variety of purposes. While funds might be used for reducing back logs, these are not the specified purposes of the program. I thank you for your invitation and i look forward to any questions you might have. Evidence, we use that money to look at homicides with sexual motivation and its a result of that we solved 17 homicides and 14 rapes. In 2009 in the city of cleveland, we had a horrendous crime by the name of anthony soul over the course of number of years and brutally raped and murdered 11 women. As a result of that crime and the deficiencies, it dem straighted throughout the criminal Justice System, it focused upon the issue of rape kits within our county. Within our county alone there was 5,000 untested rape kits silting on the shelves of Law Enforcement, a number that is inexcuseable and really understandable. Throughout the state of ohio, we had 14,000 rape kits that had been sitting on shelves. Because there was grants and because we had investigators who were retired Police Officers and we were depeered up to handle this, all efforts were put into attorney ive by the general who tested all rape kits within our state. He provided funding on a statewide level. They continued to receive grants and we had 5,000 kits and we had incidents that we needed to investigate. Currently of those 6,700 cases with is almost imaginable, the victims out there, who have not yet received justice, we have processed 3,700 investigations. Again, we have a task force now that started from a grant in 2007 that includes from the representatives from the Attorney Generals Office, local police agencies, our Sheriffs Department and representatives embedded within our task force to assist victims and we have a collaborative effort to investigate these brutal crimes, to seek justice for the victims and close out these case is for the residents we serve. While this is going, representatives passioned state laws, one that moved back the statute of limitations to 25 years and also mandated that anybody arrested for a felony offense in the state of ohio would have a swab so we could put that in the system to assist us in solving these crimes. Again, what we have accomplished within our county could not been accomplished out the assistance of the federal government. As the former prosecutors, they are handling the Current Issues and go back 20 years in dealing with issues 20 years ago, but we must do it on behalf of all of these victims. While we move forward, we are doing the best in our own county and the state of ohio but we need the federal government to bring justice to 14,000 cases from our state. I want to thank you for your time and leadership and i want to thank our panelists and victims who have found the courage to come forward and represent all victims out there who need our help. I want to thank the panels together. Thank you for being here. And i would like to recognize the distinguished lady from michigan, debbie dingell, who is a member of our panel as well and doctor, if you would like to talk. Good morning, im jennifer, im a forensic nurse and current chair of the Government Affairs committee. I thank you all of the Bipartisan Task force for the opportunity to speak to you the the work that and challenges that patients face in imagining access to our service. Service. Professional we establish and have education and standards. Ur we have short and longterm longterm health care, improve health care recovery. We integrate the needs of patients into our medical he valuation. We provide medical testimony in court when necessary and consult with memmings of the team. Most nursees are the disciplinary team. Examinations result in more positive experience for patients and are significantly associated with ip creased prosecution rates. My testimony will highlight three Priority Areas as we strive to provide quality care. One, expanding access to same services, two, enhancing sustained availability through funding of continuing education and three, broadening education through sustained services. In regards to expanding access, we understand the importance of examinations and readily accessible. And the provider for patients, ly 17 of hospital emergency dements including those level one and two have been available. Able to and two are ve care by a vert of specialties, the only designated aspects and it is the specialist. As a minimum, processes should and pro, provide prompt seven days a week rarlings of the age of the patient. This can be from through contracts with programs to espond around the clock or agreements with area programs. To ensure rapid response. In doing so, a majority of americans would expand availability in both rural and urban areas. The second point regard idges enhanced availability. It is a significant concern for us. Sustainability requires that we put money into both expanding same programs as well as moving into new Patient Populations, Health Care Systems and organizations. There may be Organization Support or grant dollars, funding is needed for continuing education. This is critical and as with others, continuing education and access to new technologies and familiar lalt with the state ensures patients are provided high quality care. It benefits the criminal Justice System. Unable to testify. However funding ongoing education must be prioritized. It is left to the individual to cover the cost. His is my final support. Turg the course of the exam which is a critical example. The kit is only one aspect of the mashte encounter and recognize provide come prepares i have health care as well as evidence collection and maintain chain of custody. There are issues that occur at higher rates. And they are nonassaulttive counterparts. And the needs of patients, connect patients with followup resources. And collaborate with professionals within the medical community to ensure care to Sexual Assault patients. Research is needed how it is needed for Sexual Assault care. The patients who receive same care, there is virtually no research that provides us with data. I hope you will give consideration to what i have shared. And im willing to answer questions. Mr. Bell. Do you have an Opening Statement . Of the members of the subcommittee to testify out our work to end Sexual Violence. In ohio, we learned we have 14,000 back logged rape kits from a period of time from 199 and 2009. Those kits were from our area. Km pounding the problem there is a 20year statute of limitation. We needed to review these cases and run out of time. We took it very seriously and one day or two hours before the grand jury would run out. In order to make the rest of our have one e, we had to physical location which was important. An approach in that location would yield the best results. We needed to prioritize our cases as well. We tackled before and we were able to identify many defendants. Some we were not able to identify but indict them as john doe defendants using their n. A. Profiles and we are focused who are out on the streets. To give you an idea of that magnitude and the danger to our community, those rape kits, testing and review of their criminal histories reveal there offenders. Al our office began a similar hit that begins this day. The first one was in 2014, detroit, 2016. And the next one will be held in portland in 2017. These four cities have similar tasks forces. They encourage uniformity and measure ourselves. We work with i. T. International to make sense of our progress. Case western reserve university partnered to hold a meeting of and others to discuss what statistics would and should be collected. We established four pillars of best practices. First, test all kits. When you test all kits, you develop leads that have the stranger rape cases. Have been identified as an equateance rape. Econd, swab all felony reastees, and the more the victims cases you will solve. Third, investigate all positive and nevada rape kit reports. We solved rape cases where from is little d. N. A. Or no d. N. A. Because the Police Reports have revealed there are secondary evidence dens. And lastly, very Important Pillar of our best practices. We use victim advocates to stay in contact. We follow protocols that have een interviewed as well as the joyful heart foundation. But after testing is one of detailed work begins. So although the funding has been terrific, additional funding is needed for those advocates and prosecutors to bring those together. Ohio has made a significant investment. Mike dewine had to put a four million investment. Our investment and the attorney. Rms office has invested the cleveland Police Department and our county counsel has invested and said they will do so for the next four years that we will need to complete the project. N 2015 and 2016 we received 2 million grants to prosecute with the grants. We hired prosecutors. I want to reiterate what omalley. Owe h and the d. O. J. Funding on three separate occasions has served as the foundation for all of these partner contributions. Without it we could not sustain the work we do. We parlay the money and we ask you to be invested. That foundation is there and we stable the work we dofment we are investigating all of the successes of the rape kit cases. 267 and solved ,2 cases and that would never have have been solved or prosecuted without this effort. We indicted 595 separate and unique defendants and the next one will be. Defendants. 264 our conviction rate is 92. 6 and on average, each defendant has received a sentence of longer than 10 years. We use the studies. We have calculated the harm caused by these rapists since the time they have been prosecuted. They have an average cost associated, murder, burglary and breaking and entering. They have been convicted of since the rape they convicted of. Our defendants have caused 440 million in economic harm to the state of harm. This harm would not have occurred if these tips have been prosecuted. What is the economic savings . Only when they prosecute the cases does the community realize the savings. Work with the best research studes and the the sexual task rce is projected to pro dues millions to our community. And getting these off the streets before they commit further crimes. For every rape kit tested, they economic in future harm. 2011, ohio that all the reastees are getting swabbed by the police. His is like fingerprinting and allows Law Enforcement to know if there are rape kits. If rape kits are one branch of e tree, then swabbing felony raceys are another branch. There are thousands of felons who have never been arrested or swabbed and we need to know. Over ,000 people were never swabbed in our area. Swabbing all felony arrestees is crucial to solving these rape cases. Since we have swabbed, we have been able to determine who eight of them are. And this has a cost and we will need funding to solve that problem. We realize savings. To do that, you have to have prore resources. And we in ohio have been blessed because the Attorney Generals Office has tested the kits and we are in the second phase. Other prosecutors will get to this point and the money will be there so they can plan to follow up on the testing kits. Testing is important but the real work for the taxpayers is realized when funds are needed to complete the job. If other prosecutors, other Police Chiefs and others know that is there, they can see the job through. The next steps to test all rape kits, fnding will be needed to meet the prosecution of 1993 to e 2011 cases, submitting the pre1993 rape kit that will be essential, that is the law in ohio and investigating those pre18993 rape kits will solve hose john doe between 1993 and 1998. Hiring advocates and providing counseling and support and iring investigators to swab. This will help deter future crimes. We have some rapists who understand that they will be caught and in there interviews after they have been prosecuted, realized that they may be caught because of the crimes they committed and specifically said that they respond their behavior because of it. So there is a deterrent effect here. A specific deterrent effect. Our office is instituting a new policy to ask each court that defendants have been swabbed and and aatial charging, rainment and they have we would like to thank the task force tore allowing us to testify and we thank the department of justice and provide a blueprint and the Attorney Generals Office and our partners, cleveland police, sheriff, b. C. I. Our task force has reached this but other task forces will be sure to follow as long as they have the proper resources that your committee and others would provide. We would like to recommend that this we commend effort. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. I agree. [applause] as a former member of team justice in ohio, im proud of the work you have done and appreciate all you have done. I would like to recognize the members and and if you have any questions. Questions could go on for hours, mr. Chairman. Thank you. I represent an area in arizona that has a lot of native americans and doesnt have the assets and im concerned about that whole process and on the hopi and navajo reservations, capita is tain ha higher. So what my background is one of wsh i was a rape investigator in the city of chicago four 40 years ago and i thought we would have come a lot longer. What i heard today was shocking. And i was shocked with rape kits being left on shelves. I was shocked when i saw the lack of understanding from within our society what a victim goes through. When you have to sit with somebody who has gone through that trauma and then understanding the trauma continues throughout their life and has an impact on families and mr. Ball, you mentioned the cost to ohio. That study did not include the cost of therapy for victims and their childrens lives and the impact of their families. I just having been involved in the government here for six months, i was in the legislature in arizona and i looked the sfaff has looked up the statistics what has occurred in arizona and we heard 6,000 cases on the shelves. And i think that he even in 2017, we failed to pass some laws to help victims being able to get information from those test kits. Again, i will go back. I just found this out. My main concern here is one of mr. Bell, and maybe you can answer this better than i can, as we look out into the future, how do we never allow this to happen again . The cases that i investigated were from very, very Young Children to the elderly. Nd there is some of the most emotional cases you can imagine and the fact that our society is hopefully is willing, but has d relapses time and time again. How do we make sure from a coordination standpoint, information standpoint, because this d. N. A. Testing has to get out to the other agencies, we have to be able tore understand the role that we play in making sure the victims we shuven protecting all along, what is the cost to be able to address these issues. Mr. Bell, you seem to have the best expertise in this area that i heard of. So, please. I think as maries ca first alluded to, the state laws that mandate that there should be laws t testing, those have to proferte. Along. To start rolling there are certain restrictions and certain obligations that the police have to have, they have to on all new cases, submit to the laboratory, any rape kit on 30 days. On the old days, within one year. Does that have to be submitted to a National Data base . The laboratories are responsible for that once they put together a complete d. N. A. Profile. There is a requirement for that . Yes. And the state will go to the ederal protocol. You have to have chiefs of police buyin and have toe understand that solving the acquaintance rape cases i guess the issue is, the reason why rape kits were never tested before besides the money issue, if you knew the i had at this time, the police, the juries, nobody would have to have the rape tested. If it was a date rape, that part of the case is solved, the issue is consent. The testing is that you solve thers stranger rape cases, because the stranger rapists who are dangerous offenders, they are mean people to the people they know. They are jerks to the pim they know and they are suspects. When you all test kits as was testified to here, then you can solve those unsolved cases because you look into the Police Reports on the acquaintance rape cases and you see the name. And that is important. The Police Chiefs have to realize the true value out there and have to become involved. Why it works in many of the difflet jurisdictions is because there is oversight over the police on these old cases, so there is someone else working on those cases, whether the prosecutors or the Mayors Office or kim worthy in detroit, you have to have a multi disciplinary approach where you have people working together and thats important. I hope that answers your question. Mr. Ohalleran i believe we just scratched the surface on where our laws are today and the coordination processes. I look forward to working with the committee. Thank you. Mr. Joyce thank you very much. Obviously its a state by state effort were going to continue on. Ms. Wasserman schultz. Ms. Wasserman schultz thank you, mr. Chairman. I want to thank all four cochairs for your leadership in creating this task force. Its a little hard to believe that we of all the task forces we have we havent had one that focusings on the importance of focuses on the importance of our responding and addressing Sexual Assault and all the facets of the problems with t i want to commend you. Each of us has been involved in this issue individually as legislators, and collectively well be able to be more effective. Im looking forward to participating. Gosh, there are so many questions that i want to ask. Im really asking not only as a legislator, but as a mother who is about to send my first daughter to college in one week from today. And knowing the, unfortunately, the very significant statistics that exist on College Campuses about the likelihood of young women experiencing Sexual Assault during college. Addressing ill add that my daughter is here with me today. Which for me is a little scary but important because i want her to hear and be prepared to make sure that she can keep herself safe. Ive been involved in the rape kit testing issue for a very long time. We have more than 13,000 untested rape kits in the state of florida. Thats an ortionally astonishing number, were also a of 20 million people. That doesnt excuse it, but it is a frighteningly large problem. I actually was involved in one particular case, i wont say the state, it was not the state of florida, where i spent a solid year trying to help a young woman who had experienced a exual assault, an actual experience, and this state absolutely not only did the state not test the law kit, but the experience, ad enforcement leadership refused to respond. Ignored entreaties from me, from the victim, from other position people in positions of authority. What do you think we need to do mechanically there are things we can do. Passing legislation to address rape kit reform is important. But id like Law Enforcement, ms. Hargitay, and you, as well, ms. Masters, because you are not Law Enforcement, what do you think should be doing to help people who are working on these issues every day and have the ability to use the mechanics of their position to help address making this a priority and helping them understand that it is a priority . Talk about it. I just want to say its so exciting to be in a room with uch passionate and likeminded people. Ms. Hargitay i think the first thing, i just want to say thank you again for your testimony, and my heart hurts right now. My heart physically hurts. And i got choked up and i cried uring my testimony, but i want to say that because we carry so much. Im obviously have access to my emotions because thats what i do for a living, but what im saying is to hear these stories, hear words like you said, dehumanizing, these lives derailed, the way that lives go off track, these are not kits sitting on a shelf. These are peoples lives. Sitting on a shelf. Getting derailed. Children, getting derailed of what is this life supposed to be. I was on this track, cant even make sense of whats happened to me. And we have been letting perpetrators go by not testing this kit and saying we dont care about this issue. As i said earlier to you, these are scary issues that people have turned away from because they are frightening, but this is about talking about it. This is about a revolution. This is aboutfacing these issues headon and saying guess what, kids . We need to talk about this. This is whats going on. What you said was so important. The fund something critical. We cant do this without the funding. And the education and the reshifting the victim blaming attitudes are what we need to change. Thats about talking about it. As i in my field have spoken about the rape kit backlog, people, as i said before, have no idea, they dont know that this is happening. They dont realize that if you dont test a kit, which is but ly not from a stranger from somebody they know, they said in the movie that you spoke about yerl, i am evidence of the film which bay by the way not out yet t. Will probably be out next spring or christmas on hbo, but the somebody in Law Enforcement says most of we have rapes, but most of them are consensual sex because the people knew each other. Because they knew each other. And that in my opinion is the problem. Ms. Wasserman schultz i think youre right. We do need to talk about t i think im going to try to Start Talking about it in a little bit more laser focused way. I dont know if any of my colleagues have done this, but i think im going to, when i go home, convene my Police Chiefs nd our county sheriffs and ask them to come and sit with me on for me to help shine a spotlight on ensure they are making it a priority and use our platform and profile we have to be able to do that, but also i want to know more from them about how much of a priority this is for them. Its also the issue of consent. That is the issue. You ask what is it we have to talk about what rape is. Because just because you know the person that raped you, not rape. N its ms. Hargitay that is one of the core issues as we know. The fact that these perpetrators change lanes. We know that they escalate. Anthony, who you brought up, is a perfect example. This is a man who rape, rape, rape, then it escalated, and he murdered, how many . 11 women. There were countless women going to Law Enforcement and saying, this man raped me. And they werent believed. This is an issue of being ms. Wasserman schultz they are less believed when the rape occurs with someone they know. Ms. Hargitay always. Ms. Wasserman schultz it is ch less likely it gets prosecuted. Thats unacceptable. Dr. Markowitz awareness, sorry miss masters thats so important. When i was rape at 13, how the police came in and talked to me, did you know him, was it your boyfriend, are you sure you didnt let him in the window . Asked me all these questions. Making me feel like maybe it wa prosecuted. Thats unacceptable. Dr. Markowitz something i did wrong. What were you sleeping in . Do you always sleep that way . Are you always on the couch . That was damning to me for you on me as a blame child. That was not fair to me. Thats one of my concerns that we educate on me as a these peoe position, these Police Officers when they are dealing with victims. Some of them they will as they say, the young folks say look as you speak to thefment you need to understand the place im in. I dont understand the place im in. I was totally derailed that night and i was confused. Why are they talking to me this way . What did do i wrong, mom . All i did was lay here on the couch and sleep. Why are they talking to me like i did something . He had a knife at my throat. This car, i didnt ask for this scar. I didnt ask for this to happen to me. Why am i being treated this way . This is something i did not understand for a long time. And it made me bitter for a long time with the Police Officers because how cruel are you . How insensitive are you . Do you have daughters . Mothers . Do you have sons . Its happening to our young men. Do you understand what im going through . We have to continue to raise awareness. We have to i dont know if we have to do victim panels with the Police Officers, they have to have some sort of education to realize what victims go through so they can no how to handle them and they can do the questioning right and make sure they get the right evidence. Most people, most victims, if you come at them the wrong way, they are going to shut down. They are not going to open up. They are already ashamed of the things happening. We dont understand whats going on. If you come at me incorrectly or speak to me in the manner i feel safe with you, comfortable with you, i feel you are genuinely concerned about whats happening to me at this moment in my life, im not going to be able to reveal or articulate the things happening to me. We have to raise awareness. We have to educate our law officials and public officials. Thats why im excited today that we you formed this task force to say were going to make this difference and make this change and were going to make a difference in our victims lives. Ms. Wasserman schultz to my colleagues it is fixable. We have a plan. Ms. Wasserman schultz absolutely. I want to call it a shameless plug, but i passed out a Dear Colleague to my colleagues about mine and my republican colleague, lamar smiths legislation, to help make sure that we add to the Fair Housing Act Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. Because we have discrimination hat goes on when someone housing or isntal trying to remain in their home when they were a victim, and many apartment complexes have a policy if you have a housing ors trying to remain in crime occur, then the person is evicted. The victim is not the perpetrator of the crime. They off, and usually get evicted they often, and usually get evicted as well. Please consider cosponsoring that legislation. Thank you for your testimony and courage. Mr. Joyce thank you very much. Representative dingell. Rs. Dingell i want to thank all of the cochairs for convening this. All of the witnesses. I have met a couple of you when you came to detroit. Both of you came two of you came to detroit at different all of the cochairs times. My home had 11,341 untested. Then we found another 500 and we formed a task force. To address the issue. Several people at this table were helpful. We were able to raise 17 million so far. I dont know why we should have to work that hard to raise it. We currently have fewer than 1,000 remaining of the 2009 backlog kits. And our prosecutor, a fabulous woman, has the work so far has resulted in 78 convictions. And the identification of 784 suspected serial rapists. And over 50 of the 784 will believed are believed to have committed sex assaults 10 to 15 times each. When i talk to kim, she needs money. Not just for youve raised, now the moneys there needed for the investigation and the prosecution of the cases. I not just for youve guess would ask is of all of you is were trying to raise awareness. Im really aware of what its like to call the police and have them not respond. The stereotyping of people. Im concerned now in the last couple of months i have had several High Schoolers that were raped and while the school responded appropriately in calling Law Enforcement have been demonized by the local community and people dont understand its happening now not only on colleges and high schools. I had a Young High School it was an eighth grader, male, come up to me at a town hall meeting and say we have to start to ducate us in grade school. It was very touching. He was afraid to say it publicly, but he came up to me later. What would each of you say to us . We know we have to raise money. Im wondering, im not a prosecutor like several of them re, can we swab in every jurisdiction . Is that aloud to swab do we need to pass a law . What would each of you say we should be doing to help raise awareness . What laws arent on the books . And i do know. I agree with debbie, we all i lived in a domestic havent situation and nobody expects that somebody like me lived through what i lived in or hid in closets. I know we all have to talk about it more because people stereotype and dont want to talk about it. But what do we need to do . You each have experienced this from a different perspective, what do we need to do to help raise awareness, raise the money, and help the victims . And take away this typical stereotype you are talking. To raise awareness, its training for these Law Enforcement officers. They have to become part of it i can remember calling the police and there was no way anybody was going to help me. Door handles were taken off the doors. We were hiding in closets. Scared we were going to be shot because of the man that was going to do it. There was nobody that was going to help us. We have to raise awareness and take that wavement i take all of your suggestions. For what we need to do. Let me start by saying, as elected officials, as the public, we need to ensure our safety 230rses are thoroughly compassionate are thoroughly, compassionately investigating all these cases. I sat on the Cleveland City council as a local official like perhaps many of you started. On a Safety Committee but i had no idea that within the cleveland Police Department there were 5,000 rape kits untested. Certainly never was a discussion had at the committee table. Tragedy occurred, it shed a light on something that has now gone nationwide that there are these kits that were sitting unbelievably untested on shelves throughout our country. Mr. Omalley i think as representatives, both locally and federally, state we need to put and we need push that these cases are critical. They need thorough investigation. Every victim needs to be heard. And i think we can all do our part in making sure this is a priority Going Forward. That every one of these cases are handled in an appropriate manner. And justice is sought and received by the victims of these horrendous crimes. I think it starts at every level of government that we all ask the question is how are these cases being investigated . Are they being thoroughly investigated . Are the victims receiving the support and help that they need . I think thats the best thing that we can do Going Forward because we all know now there is a huge problem. Ohios perhaps a little bit ahead of other states because we had an attorney general who took this as a priority. Perhaps because he was a former county prosecutor and now our attorney general. He understood the significance of getting these kits tested. So, again, i suggest that we work with our Law Enforcement partners but we ensure and ask the tough questions about these articular cases. Dr. Markowitz if i may speak from the health care perspective. I think there are a couple things we need to do. As was mentioned we need to talk about it and that talk needs to extend to the health care community. We need to do a far better job of understanding that Sexual Violence is a Public Health care issue. That the short and longterm consequences of that type of assault can be significant and that every single one of our patients has the potential to develop Health Care Related issues from the violence they have experienced. Which means we need to be talking about Sexual Violence and screening for Sexual Violence widely. We need to be teaching it in medical and nursing schools. Our residents need to be able to understand the impact of violence on the health care of the patients that they are seeing in emergency departments, critical care, in a variety of health care settings. Of course we need access to Sexual Assault nurse examiners who are understood to be more than simply evidence collectors but really as Health Care Specialists who attend to those Health Care Issues and potentially prevent some of the fallout from the Sexual Violence. From our perspective certainly the discussion needs to be happening at all levels of our professional development and our patient interactions. Mr. Joyce thank you. I appreciate the answer. I understand representative, representative speier you might have a question . Ms. Speier dr. Marko wits, you goodrkowitz, it would be a place for us to begin in terms of trying to highlight the importance of having qualified, skillful, nurses available. They dont necessarily have to be at the hospital. They could be on call. There are many ways it can be done. Would you agree with that . Dr. Markowitz i would. I think that if we had Sexual Assault nurse examiners at every level one and level two trauma certainty, that would mean the vast majority of americans would be within a 60 minute drive or helicopter ride to a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program or forensic examiner program. That would widely extend access to that kind of Critical Health care service. Ms. Speier mr. Omalley and mr. Bell, i have always been flummoxed by the fact that many states have such have a statute of limitations for rape. We just did a quick review, texas has a 10 year. Ohio has 20. New hampshire has six. Pennsylvania has 12. North dakota seven. Florida has none for Sexual Battery with physical force or deadly weapon. Four years for first degree offenses. And three years for any other degree. It seems to me at a time when we have d. N. A. Where you can link clearly without question that a victim was assaulted by this individual, we shouldnt have a statute of limitations at all. Could you speak to that and whether thats it seems like that was a stumbling block for you in terms of the cold cases that dated back in time. Its a good point. I think what youll see, ohio has changed the 20 year to a 25 year now. It could extend beyond that if you have d. N. A. Thats discovered. Mr. Bell collected and sent to the laboratory. If you do it properly with enough time period, so there is a penalty for Law Enforcement if they dont follow the time periods, then that statute of limitations will not extent tend for an additional five years from 25 to 30. So there are ways to do so, but theres lobbyists on the other side that are would lobby for defendants rights saying that thats too long of a period of time. That there could be changes that have occurred, witness that is may no longer be present, to be able to refute a victims testimony. That peoples memories fade. So there is a delay in the process if you dont have some something to force the police to bring these charges, investigate the cases beforehand. Your point about the with the advent of d. N. A. The statute of limitations can extend and perhaps disappear is very well put. Ms. Speier last question to you, mr. Befment you indicated every arrestee should be swabbed. Thats one of the pillars of your recommendation. We looked at that in california some decades ago and the aclu was all over it because youre swabbing arrestees and not convicted felons. Could you just speak to that issue . Mr. Bell certainly. The arrestee information is put into the codis database. If somebody is exoriginal rated their cases could be sealed. And they are automatically sealed by the codis administrators upon notification. So in ohio we were able to overcome that same type of attack by putting in restrict tures, making sure there were proper notification that is would be put in place for the laboratories to know from the police or from the prosecutors or from the courts or clerk of has been n somebody exonerated or cases sealed. Thats something that can be overcome those challenges. Instance,t our for our task force testified in front of other states, legislatures, state of washington was very receptive to the idea this is a mini innocent project in and of itself. If you testify all kits, you can find out whether or not somebody has been falsely accused. And that played very well in certain parts of the country. So its something that will be explored. These issues have been with us since the early 1990s when codis was first being formulated. Due to nonconvictions, only felonies, violent felonies, do you also include Sexual Assaults, it has expand spanded over the period of 25 years expanded over the period of 25 years. I expect that would continue to expand. Mr. Joyce thank you. Patrick, do you have a question . Thank you, mr. Chairman. This has been an emotional week on capitol hill for reasons people are fully aware. But i have to tell you this hearing is about as effective a hearing as i think i have attended in quite some time. I thank you for the depth of exploration of some of these things and i know what leaves you frustrated is were touching things we could take any part of it and spend a whole hearing in categorizing it. Mr. Meehan we dont have that luxury at the moment. We can Work Together on this. I just want to ask a couple of followup questions. Miss hargitay, let me start with you. We have this plan that will get us to 2020 where we might see this to an end. Could you just take a moment and let us know where were and what the rest of that plan would consider . Im going to lay these out and you can be responsive. To either mr. Omalley or mr. Bell. Your statistics are overwhelming. Im not just trying to say this is interesting. 670 serial cases. Out of your backlog. You are cuyahoga, ohio. We have sitous your size all across america. We have cities your size all across america. How much are we going to find if we take this same model and replicate it . What is being done . We concede some things here with funding. But we see it in all kinds of things we like to fund. The question is, you have such a compelling case, how are your colleagues and d. A. s working through the ndaa attorneys general or others demonstrating the impact that you are having and compelling those who are responsible for funding things say we have to make this a priority back in your areas . Lastly, i have such respect for the work are you doing in this space and the ability again because were talking about evidence, you really seem to be so principally focused on the treatment of the victim. You spent time talking we always talk about the treatment of the victim with respect to, ok, lets make sure we get her or him, because there are male victims as well, lets make sure we get them so we can get the evidence. And move on. We forget about them. Can you talk about the part of the same program that is then there to help this victim reconnect in some ways with other services or things that will allow other parts of them to both heal up to and including the other kinds of inclusive medical issues that can arise because of the trauma, because of the other things that are associated with t i know its a lot but if those who are here could touch on those issues i would be grateful. Thank you. Dr. Markowitz the goal here is to pass reform in all 50 states. You mentioned the four pillars. We have the six pillars to comprehensive reform. That would be to start with auditing. Ms. Hargitay to simply audit and know exactly how many kits we have. Obviously to test every kit in the backlog and to test in time all new kits. Obviously were working on tracking. If we can track our childrens christmas presents, why cant we track a rape kit . Its like a disgrace. What were saying is not important. The tracking is so key. And the other thing is a victims right to know, i spoke about victim notification. At joyful heart we invested in two years in research how the victim is the victim, how the victim wants to be notified. That is so important to speak to what the victim needs. Again keep the survivor at the center. And funding. So those are sort of our six pillars to reform. Again, i just wanted to go back to what you asked about the testing and what people believe. There are five reasons. Concrete reasons to test every single kit. And to test assailants that we know because the first is to identify an unknown suspect. If we put somebodys d. N. A. In codis, then all of a sudden we can get a hit on that. Then we can match a known suspect. Somebody that we already know and go, hey, put those two together. Corroborate the victims account. The victim said he did this he says no i didnt. We find d. N. A. There, well, youre up. Of edit the perps account the rape. There are so many reasons. Thats why i think every kit should be tested. To get a swab because then were preventing so many rapes from happening. In the film that i made, you see how many women wouldnt have been raped if one kit was ested. It would be nice if you could get that so we could screen it on the hill. Ms. Hargitay we will. I think within ohio we have formed such a Great Partnership amongst Law Enforcement agencies and the public is well aware of this horrible situation. These kits sat on shelves. I think the light of scrutiny as been shown upon these kits. Mr. Omalley ohio, i think other states can follow. One of the things in my five months in office i have now learned that perhaps may be a pattern for other states as well is ensuring that when an individual is arrested and is fits within the pa lam parameters of the law of an individual who needs to be swabbed is making certain that Law Enforcement is taking the swab and sending it down to enter it into the system. I have found within our own county since 2011 when our law was passed in the state of ohio, we have thousands of individuals who should have been swabbed have not been swabbed. So as rick talked about earlier, another branch of the same tree, we need to make this make sure this branch is developed completely. So it has now come to our attention. We sat down with our partners in the criminal Justice System and our law says they shall be arrested and swabbed upon arrest. Shall is shall and there is not a loft wiggle room there. Its sitting down with our Law Enforcement partners, local sheriffs and saying this needs to happen. Note all know, those who do want to swab often have a reason. Its incumbent upon us and incumbent upon Law Enforcement to make sure that we receive it. Dr. Markowitz ill try to briefly identify the answer the questions that you have asked me. Used to hat were so thinking about seeing our roll as collectors of the Sexual Assault evidence collection kit, what we recognize is that for a lot of our patients they have limited interaction with the Health Care System. So during the exam we have the ability to identify Health Care Issues that they may not have even been aware of. We certainly have the ability to attend to some of the preventive aspects. Like immunizations and things like that while with us. We also have the ability during that encounter to connect them with Critical Resources both within the medical community and larger community, including both Mental Health and physical health care resources. I think the ability to be able to to be able to address all of the Health Care Issues that individual has come in with is an important part of what were able to do. Whether we can attend to all of it at once or at least be able to begin the process of connecting patients with the ability to receive the care that they may may need. I think the other thing to recognize is that there are not only positives for a Patient Population when we address both the health care and the evidentiary needs, but as research is beginning to tell us, there are real criminal justice impacts for our patients when we treat them as more than simply crime scenes. Im so sorry, lavinia, for your experience with the Health Care System that. Should never, ever happen. Patients should not walk into a Health Care System and feel as though they are insensitive. That they are only concerned about collecting the evidence and not dealing with the whole individual. Which is what happens when we treat patients solely as crime scenes. What we have crime scenes. What we discovered in the research which is promising is when patients are provided options when they come in for health care, when they are connected to Critical Resources, when they are given choice what is we see is those patients are more likely to engage with the criminal Justice System. They are more likely to work with investigators. They are more likely to be willing to move forward in the criminal Justice System. I think that there is a real benefit holistically to being able to deal with patients Health Care Issues as well as simply the evidentiary ones. I appreciate very much your comments about that. Ms. Masters with my rape, come interesting a victim perspective, my perpetrator, once he raped me and me finding out later that my kit went on the shelf, he went on to carjack and rape another young lady. Had my evidence been processed, they could have caught him then. He did another rape. He went to prison for 10 years because this time he raped somebodys grandmother. Same m. O. , went into her window and raped her at knife point. While all this time my kit is till on the shelf. All of this could have been prevented. That hurt me because i felt like part of it was my responsibility, again, had they investigated my kit and found my crime, mr. Kevin glen turner, could not be out damaging other victims lives. Thats part of the devastation for me to know that this happened and then when my case 2006, kevinfiled in glen turn was coming up for parole and most likely because how the laws were in texas at the time with the statute of limitations, i couldnt prosecute, but the governor at that time, which i think was rick perry, and the chief of police and other staffers helped protest his parole, he was able to stay in because in the state of texas told me, they said were going tonight laughingstock of the country if we allow him out knowing we have all this evidence against him. But you cant prosecute. So that was very devastating to know that you have evidence. You havedown dfpblet which i calls called a footprint from god. Theres a reason its there. We dont take advantage of the blessings that we have to use to stop these criminals in their tracks. And then what you were saying, dr. Jenifer, in regard to the Health Issues, me as a child growing up not getting the proper care, being stressed, it caused all kind of Health Issues for me. I didnt realize that. It wasnt until i got in my 30s and i had a doctor that was concerned about so many issues with me, and he began to probe, and he got out of me about my Sexual Assault. He said i promise you that the overeating, i stress eat, the grinding of my teeth, rubbing down my teeth, so many other Health Issues just from that Sexual Assault not being addressed. So aim thankful that im in a better place now and i have begun my healing process and become whole. These are things that happen to victims every single day because we just look over them. We expect them to just get by. Youll be ok. But its damaging. And its not just the rape itself. Its the lifelong it happens. Ms. Hargitay i just want to add last night at the screening, somebody, a young woman who was a nurse, raised her hand and said that she had seen some things about health care in the hospital and she specifically asked, how do i i need to know, i need training, how do i deal with survivors . I have seen some things that people are not treating people the way they should be treated. And thattest a young nurses question for us about how she could learn and how she could urther her training. This is wonderful place to say this is the beginning of a conversation. Stops. Ave hard i want to thank my colleagues for being with us. This has been beyond my wildest dreams in pulling together this Bipartisan Coalition t also ties in, we wont have time for my questions, but the idea of both directions. Not only do we have serial predators that are not being caught. Miss custer ms. Kuster the down stream impact on the health and wellbeing. We have a Bipartisan Task force on the Opioid Epidemic that many of us are involved in. Many of the ill call it victims because they are swept into this epidemic were finding are survivors of Sexual Assaults and trauma from the military, in their personal lives. So much more to talk about. We appreciate you being with us. Thank you to my colleagues. This is, as i say, well continue. Thank you. Mr. Joyce thank you for being here. Meeting is adjourned. [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2017] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] cspan, where history unfolds daily. The 1979, cspan was created as a Public Service by americas Cable Television companies. And is brought to you today by your cable or satellite rovider. Hospital staff gave an update earlier today on house majority