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.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 16, 2025
Sandra Goomansingh
Media Relations Director
(340) 774-5666 ext. 10105
Email: sandra.goomansingh@doj.vi.gov