Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
ST. TAMMANY PARISH, La. (WGNO) — Louisiana legislators with the St. Tammany Legislative Delegation wrote a letter on Sunday, March 24, stating they will “pursue all options in the legislature” to stop incoming St. Tammany Parish Coroner Christopher Tape from eliminating the parish’s sexual assault exam program.
In the letter addressed to St. Tammany Parish President Mike Cooper and the St. Tammany Parish Council, state legislators wrote they are continuing their call for Tape’s resignation after he “unilaterally decided to terminate the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) program, and its employees.”
Tape ran unopposed this past fall after current St. Tammany Parish Coroner Charles Preston announced he would be retiring.
Lawmakers with the Northshore Legislative Delegation said Tape is unfit for the job because of child sexual abuse charges brought against him more than 20 years ago.
Sunday’s letter states the SANE program would be cut when Tape assumes the office at midnight on March 24.
According to the letter, the coroner’s office is responsible for collecting evidence in sexual assault cases.
“It is imperative the exams be performed by trained professionals, and the SANE nurses are highly skilled at the process necessary to ensure effective prosecution of perpetrators,” the letter reads.
The letter also cites a Louisiana law that states, “The coroner or his designee shall examine all alleged victims of a sexually oriented criminal offense. The coroner may select the hospital or healthcare provider named as the lead entity for sexual assault examinations in the regional plan required by R.S. 40:1300.41 as his designee to perform the forensic medical examination.”
Legislators state one hospital in the parishes under the St. Tammany Parish coroner was asked to be a designee for the program.
The letter also contains a statement from the St. Tammany Parish Coroner’s Office holding it accountable for providing the SANE program’s services.
The legislators said the decision to cut the SANE program in St. Tammany Parish sends a chilling message to survivors of sexual assault and perpetuates “a culture of silence and impunity surrounding sexual violence.”
“Cutting the SANE program in St. Tammany will leave thousands of survivors without access to highly-trained forensic examiners. The decision to cut the SANE program is a grave disservice to survivors of sexual assault in those parishes,” the letter reads.
The letter was signed by senators Beth Mizell, Patrick McMath, Bob Owen and Bill Wheat, as well as representatives Stephanie Berault, Kim Carver, Peter Egan, Jay Galle, Brian Glorioso and Mark Wright.
Read the full letter:
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