COURT RULES SEX OFFENDERS CAN BE CHARGED FOR ?RAPE KITS?

Sex offenders in Colorado can be forced to pay for the medical sexual assault examinationsrequired for their victims, the state’s Supreme Court ruled on Monday.

While the state already required funds to be set aside to pay for the forensic tests widelyknown as “rape kits,” the ruling clarifies that convicted offenders can be chargeddirectly for the costs of tests for their victims.

Nationally, many victims of sexual assault have to pay some of the costs of rape kits. A recentstudy found that on average, victims with insurance ended up paying about $950 for medical servicesassociated with rape kits.

Federal law requires states to pay for sexual assault forensic exams, but hospitals ofteninclude more services than those associated with the rape kit alone.

Monday’s ruling explicitly permits the inclusion of the services of sexual assault nurseexaminers as “extraordinary” costs that offenders can be ordered to pay themselves,turning down the petitions of convicts Adam Teague and Bobby Rogers, who had been charged $702.27and $500, respectively, for their victims’ examinations.

Message from Executive Director Laura A. Ahearn: Parents for Megan's Law and the Crime VictimsCenter provides prevention education, advocacy, counseling and other valuable support services tochild and adult victims of sexual assault and to all victims of violent crime. Please visit ourwebsite at www.parentsformeganslaw.org for news, information and resources in your community.

http://nypost.com/2017/06/06/court-rules-sex-offenders-can-be-charged-for-rape-kits/