Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird has revealed that her office found significant gaps in the state’s crime victim services after conducting an audit that lasted almost a year and a half. This audit has highlighted the need to improve the safety measures in place to protect the people of Iowa.
According to her, victims have not been informed if their orders of protection have expired since 2019.
According to her, a system will be established in her office that can prevent a situation where a woman realizes that her order has expired only after encountering her abuser at a grocery store.
According to the speaker, the system is designed to notify victims of potential danger. Specifically, if an offender is served with a protective order, the victim will be alerted. This allows the victim to take extra measures to protect themselves from harm. Additionally, the system notifies victims 30 days before the expiration of a protective order. This gives the victim and their advocate the opportunity to go to court and request an extension of the order for continued protection.
She discovered that the compensation for nurses who have been trained to carry out sexual assault examinations was also inadequate.
According to the audit report by Bird, Iowa is facing a severe shortage of nurses who can assist in gathering evidence to support a victim and bring their abuser to justice. The report highlighted a case where a victim had to wait for about 8 hours due to the unavailability of a skilled nurse in the vicinity. This highlights the urgent need to address the shortage of trained nurses in Iowa.
In an effort to improve the working conditions for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners, she is recommending the first salary increase in nearly two decades. Additionally, she is proposing to increase their travel payments to further support their valuable work.
Funding for the morning after pill will be reinstated for victims of assault. However, the audit has made it clear that the funds will only be utilized for preventing pregnancy, and not for terminating one.
According to the audit, the office of the Iowa State Auditor stated, “Iowans have expressed their stance on the issue of public funding for abortions by electing majorities to both the House and Senate, who have voted against a proposal for our office to cover the costs of abortions.”
According to Bird, there have been changes made to the evidence collection kit. One significant change is that the consent forms are now included inside the sealed kit. This means that victims must first give their consent to undergo the examination before they can be informed of what it entails.
The software system will empower county prosecutors to keep the status of kits up-to-date.
Democrats, including state Auditor Rob Sand, criticized Bird for withholding funds throughout the audit.
According to the statement, the Attorney General of Iowa put rape victims through unnecessary trauma for political gain for a whole year. The report indicates that there were no legitimate legal or financial grounds for withholding payments for emergency contraception.
During the audit, Bird confirmed that no services were altered for the victims. However, some payments were affected, mostly to the providers.
The policy going forward has been announced and the audit has concluded. As a result, all reimbursements will be made, including those for Plan B contraceptive prescriptions. Going forward, this will continue to be the case.
According to Bird, she is currently battling against a massive 42% reduction in federal funding for victim services. This cut is equivalent to approximately $4.5 million, and she is determined to fight it tooth and nail.
According to Bird, the alterations made were a direct product of roundtable discussions that involved both victims and advocates. She emphasized that victims will be given priority and wants them to be aware of this.
As a victim of a crime, it can be a challenging experience to navigate through the legal system. The constitution provides all the necessary protections to defendants, and it is important to understand and respect that. However, it is equally crucial to ensure that victims are never overlooked, and that their needs are met to the best of our abilities during such difficult times in their lives.
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