Governor's Column - October 19, 2007
by Governor Matt Blunt
Protecting Victims of Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence
Protecting Missourians from violent criminals is a fundamental duty of state government. One of my budget priorities for the coming year will be to better protect victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. This funding will ensure that sexual assault victims will not be further traumatized by being forced to pay for the medical exam associated with the gathering of evidence about their attacker.
These examinations are administered to gather information about the attacker's DNA and can be vital in the successful prosecution of the assailant and protecting the victim's health.
I am recommending that more than $2.3 million be made available to cover medical exam costs associated with rape or sexual assault in next year's budget. This proposed funding will help enhance bipartisan legislation I signed earlier this year sponsored by Senate President Pro Tem Michael R. Gibbons and State Rep. Connie Johnson. This new law protects women and children harmed at the hands of others, including provisions allowing the state to pay for exams following sexual assault, commonly called a "rape kit", to gather the assailant's DNA and archive the assault.
Under previous law, victims of sexual assault or rape were often forced to pay for their own forensic exams to investigate the crimes they suffered. This added significant insult to brutal injury. No victim of sexual assault should be forced to pay for a medical exam to prove their injuries, and the combination of legislation I signed and funding I am recommending ensures that they will not have to in the future.
In addition to ensuring victims will not be forced to pay for their own medical exams, bi-partisan legislation I signed this year changed several state laws to better protect victims of sexual assault and domestic violence including: victims cannot be subject to a required polygraph test as a condition for prosecutors or police to investigate alleged crimes; domestic assault in the first degree, which involves attempted murder or serious physical harm, is elevated to a Class A felony on the second offense and is punishable by ten years to life in prison; victims' addresses can be removed from publicly accessible state and local records to help keep women safe by making it more difficult for abusers to find victims' home or work addresses; and children are better protected by provisions that make it easier to sue for psychological injuries caused by sexual exploitation.
I believe it is a fundamental duty of state government to protect Missourians from violent criminals. Offering that protection requires tough laws and vigilant enforcement, and it also requires helping victims maintain their dignity, and protecting safe harbors in which victims can live again without fear. Legislation I signed will help us accomplish those objectives, and the funding I am recommending will help ensure that victims of sexual assault in our state are protected from further insult and injury.