The Whitworthian

Issue date: 11/20/07

Detectives believe a man entered an unlocked home on North Waikiki Road a few blocks away from Whitworth sometime after midnight and sexually assaulted a female resident on Nov. 1. 

Kevin A. Thompson, who is an Eastern Washington University student, faces charges of first-degree rape and will enter a plea before a Spokane County Superior Court Judge Nov. 14. (See "Rape suspect says he was on drugs")

The Health and Counseling Center, as well as the greater Spokane area, provides resources for student victims of rape and sexual assault.

Resources for students available at Health Center

Director of the Health and Counseling Center Jan Murray said the Health Center offers medical and counseling services to students who are victims of rape or sexual assault, as well as others involved.

"We work in tandem with the Counseling Center," Murray said. "We also offer services to anyone else who has been deeply involved."

Murray said the Health Center recommends that rape or sexual assault victims go to the emergency room to complete a rape kit.

"We recommend, but do not require, victims of rape or sexual assault to go to the emergency room to take a rape test within 48 hours even if they have showered or bathed," Murray said.

Murray said the rape test is an official, legal procedure and is necessary if the victim wishes to prosecute at a later date.

Director of Counseling Services Janelle Thayer said the evidence from the rape kit is recorded in the victim's medical files.

Thayer said someone from the Spokane County police department would meet with the victim to interview him or her.

"The victim is counseled regarding the option of pressing charges, but even if he or she doesn't want to at the time, it is possible to do at a later time because of all the gathered evidence," Thayer said.

Oftentimes, victims do not initially react on an incident such as rape or sexual assault because they have to go through a long-term mental process in order to seek the care they need, Murray said. 

If a student has been raped or sexually assaulted, a counselor from the Health Center will go with them to the hospital, Murray said.

"Our [Health Center] primary role is to care for the victim in any way we can," Murray said.

Murray said seeing victims of rape or sexual assault "is not a common occurrence in the Health Center."

"We're not about statistics, we're about people," Murray said.

There have been cases dealt with on campus in the past, Murray said.

Murray said students can come to the front desk of the Health Center and inform the personnel if there is a serious issue requiring immediate medical attention.

After hours, students can contact their medic in case of a serious incident, Murray said. Medics have been trained in proper rape-response procedures and can take a student to the appropriate hospital, Murray said.

Resources available in Spokane

Murray said Lutheran Community Services Northwest is the only agency in Spokane with a 24-hour sexual assault crisis line, which can be reached at 624-7273.

If the victim decides to prosecute, the organization will walk through the process with the victim and serve as his or her advocate, Murray said.

According to the Lutheran Community Services Northwest Web Site, the Rape Crisis Network began providing services in Spokane in 1971. The Spokane Sexual Assault Center began in 1991 and later became the Sexual Assault and Family Trauma (SAFeT) Response Center in 2001.

The SAFeT Response Center is the only Washington state-certified sexual assault program in Spokane County, according to the Lutheran Community Services Northwest Web Site.

Whitworth's past 24-hour rape hotline

According to a May 6, 2003 article in The Whitworthian, there used to be a 24-hour rape hotline at Whitworth. The article said the hotline had been active for 12 years.

Thayer, who was the Director of the Health Center in 2003, said the rape hotline technically still exists but has turned into her carrying around a cell phone for any emergencies. The new phone number for the rape hotline is: (509) 879-9360.

"It wasn't discontinued, but the students who were most interested in it graduated and moved on," Thayer said. "Since then, there hasn't been much interest. I hope that means there isn't as much a 'need' for it, but I don't know that for sure."

When the rape hotline was up and running, there was a group of six rape advocates who carried a cell phone on a rotating basis, Thayer said. 

If a student called in, the advocate offered to accompany the victim to the Deaconess Medical Center.

"The advocate would follow up and encourage the student to go to the counselor, either on or off campus," Thayer said.

Thayer said she would advise the advocates as necessary and report the incident to the associate dean of students.

Contact Julie Wootton at julie.wootton@whitworthian.com.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools

The Whitworthian encourages readers to comment on any content on the whitworthian.com. Article comments can be posted by anyone. The opinions expressed are not necessarily the opinion of The Whitworthian, its editors or its staff. The Whitworthian strives to monitor and delete comments with profanity, advertisements, obscenity, plagiarism, personal attacks, threats of violence or that violate the law or common decency. However, since The Whitworthian does not control user submitted statements, we cannot promise that readers will not find offensive or inaccurate comments on occasion.

For this reason, The Whitworthian asks readers to be responsible and respectful in any comments posted. The responsibility for statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not the whitworthian.com. Readers are also encouraged to report questionable comments by e-mailing editor@whitworthian.com.