Media Credit: Amber Mees

University Health Center officials expect to collect more evidence in sexual assault cases thanks to a new state law that requires police agencies to store sexual assault case documentation, which will be labeled anonymously, for at least six months.

The Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program at the health center - one of the few programs of its kind in the country - was once required to file a police report if it collected evidence.

Those who work with sexual assault victims on campus say the police reporting process often intimidates victims and deters them from reporting the case. Sexual assault is one of the most underreported crimes, and victims often experience feelings of guilt.

With the passage of Oregon House Bill 2154, victims can choose to collect evidence and decide later if they want to move forward with potential prosecution. The health center will assign the evidence kit an anonymous number and the kit will be stored at the Eugene Police Department for at least six months.

Cindy Smith, a SANE nurse at the health center who testified before the Oregon legislature about the bill, said the health center takes additional swabs if a student chooses to collect evidence. Students, she said, aren't always thinking about prosecution after the attack.

"They can leave and go think about it," Smith said. "If weeks later they decide - after thinking about it more or talking to friends or family - they want to report, the evidence won't get lost."

She said the health center's first priority is medical care and not evidence collection.

"We absolutely don't insist that people report," Smith said. "The majority of students still don't want to report, and we totally respect that."

Smith said treatment for victims could include emergency contraception and antibiotics for a possible sexually transmitted infection.

During the 2005-06 school year, SANE saw 13 sexual assault cases, three of which were reported to police, according to statistics kept by nurses. This school year, the health center has seen 12 sexual assault cases so far, and six have been reported to police.

Although the health center focuses on treatment, Oregon's new law may encourage students to report more cases.

The U.S. Department of Justice estimates 81 percent of on-campus assaults and 84 percent of off-campus assaults are not reported to police. Rape and sexual assault are the least likely crimes to be reported to police.

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