This morning we met with Molly Dreissen from the DC Forensic Nurse Examiners office at the Medstar Washington Hospital Center. The organization strives to provide trauma-enforced medical forensic examinations to all that have experienced trauma in the District of Columbia. They employ five full-time nurses and nearly thirty part-time nurses who are specially trained and prepared to perform the examinations. The patients they treat are usually in the age range of 12 to 35 and are able to give exams within 96 hours of the assault, however, the patient is never required to alert the police of the incident. The exams include “rape kits,” evidence collection, head to toe examinations, medications, and a follow-up with consultants from Whitman Walker. The DC Forensic Nurse Examiners is the only organization in DC that is able to provide a full forensic medical examination.
Later in the day, we attended a screening of the movie, Audrie & Daisy, at the Newseum. The movie documented two teenage girls, Daisy and Delaney, who had experienced sexual assault when they were in high school. The movie also shared the story of another young girl, Audrie, who committed suicide after being bullied about her sexual assault on social media. The movie was very powerful and spoke to the courage and strength that Audrie, Daisy, Delaney, and many other survivors possess. Both Daisy and Delaney are creators of Safe BAE (Before Anyone Else), an organization dedicated towards preventing sexual assault and spreading awareness. We are excited to meet them tomorrow and have the opportunity to speak with them on our own!