Partnership with Emory University Brings Sexual Assault/Rape Kit training to V.I. Nurses

Plans are underway to develop a Sexual Assault Response Team (SART)
(U.S. Virgin Islands)- V.I. Attorney General Gordon C. Rhea announced today that the Virgin
Islands Department of Justice (DOJ), through the St. Thomas/ St. John DOJ Criminal Division,
has partnered with Emory University under the Special Assistance Funding (SAFE) Program grant
to establish a network of trained Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) in the U.S. Virgin
Islands. This initiative will enable nurses to conduct forensic medical exams in sexual assault cases
and support the development of a coordinated community Sexual Assault Response Team (SART).
Over the past year, 17 nurses from the U.S. Virgin Islands have completed training in administering
rape kits through the SAFE Program Grant in collaboration with Emory University.
“This partnership represents a significant step forward in how we support survivors of sexual
violence in the Virgin Islands,” said Attorney General Rhea. “By equipping our nurses with
specialized forensic training and building a comprehensive response team, we are strengthening
our commitment to justice, compassion, and healing for victims.”
In March 2025, the Emory/SAFE Program Grant team visited St. Thomas to conduct a community
needs assessment. The information gathered will be used to build a SART team aimed at improving
victim care and forensic evidence collection in sexual assault cases. The Emory team, which
included ten nursing students, met with representatives from the DOJ, the Virgin Islands Police
Department, and the Family Resource Center to present their findings.