Family forced to drive three hours for 'vital' testing after daughter's rape

A mother who drove three hours with her daughter to undertake vital forensic testing after she was raped is calling for better access to services in regional areas. 

The Port Lincoln mother, whom the ABC has chosen not to name, said her daughter arrived home after being sexually assaulted at about 1.30pm earlier this year, prompting a number of calls to emergency services. 

At 6pm, after police statements and a consult at the Port Lincoln hospital, they were told to go to the nearest qualified nurse to undertake forensic testing. 

That nurse was in Whyalla, about 270 kilometres away. 

"To her absolute credit, she was on a day off," the mother said. 

"It was her daughter's birthday, so she had a birthday dinner, did the cake and then came in, so we're very grateful for her."

Expanding response

The forensic testing took three-and-a-half hours, and the family eventually returned home to Port Lincoln at 2am.

The mother said the lack of an organised response to the incident was frustrating. 

"I just kept thinking, how can no one have an answer to this?" she said.

"She's not the only person that this has happened to. 

"How come no-one can tell us where we're supposed to be, where we can go, how long it will take?" 

SA Health previously told the ABC there were only 12 qualified staff to complete forensic examinations in the state, nine in Adelaide and three in regional areas. 

The SA government announced in September skilled midwives would be able to undertake training to conduct forensic examinations.

It was in response to the state's Royal Commission into Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence. 

Eyre and Far North Local Health Network CEO Julie Marron said there had been interest from staff to undertake the required training. 

But it would remain optional, rather than forming part of nursing and midwifery degrees. 

"It can be quite confronting for a clinician to undertake these tests and examinations," she said. 

"I think at this stage it is much better that we are educating people that are choosing to advance their scope of practice in this field [and] making sure that we have some really robust supports around them." 

Other initiatives being rolled out in response to the royal commission include early evidence kits, which would be available in hospitals and to police. 

"Early evidence kits will preserve evidence really if somebody might need to have a medical intervention that might jeopardise that evidence," Ms Marron said. 

"Or if they need to have something to eat or drink or go to the toilet. 

"All of those things will ensure that we can preserve that evidence for them." 

The mother said changes needed to be fast-tracked to prevent confusion for victim-survivors after a "horrific experience". 

"There should be more support for everyone — victims, the workers, everyone."