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June 19, 2006

In times of need

• Nurse has seen some of the dark side of humanity while helping victims



By M. Scott Carter

Transcript Staff Writer

Don’t ask Terry Gillespie about her nightmares.

You don’t want to know.

As a public health nurse for the Cleveland County Health Department, Gillespie has seen the darkest side of humanity.

Date rape. Assault. Domestic Violence. Attacks on children. Emotional and physical abuse. Gillespie — over the course of her career — has witnessed firsthand just how badly one person can harm another.

And her job, she says, is preventing that pain from reoccurring. “I try to be there for people. I want to help educate them so they can avoid being a victim.”

The former coordinator of YWCA Oklahoma City’s Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) program, Gillespie spent years treating the victims of rape and domestic violence.

A certified forensic nurse, today she works in several clinical areas of the Cleveland County Health Department, including sexually transmitted diseases, family planning, women’s health and Tuberculosis.

But it’s her work with the victims of assault that affected her -- deeply. “You might say I can relate to them on a very personal level. I understand...very well.” 

Those scars, she says, never fully heal. “You remember. You always remember. You get on with your life and you live, but you always remember.”

And although she’s no longer working as a SANE nurse, she is still trying to teach others how to prevent sexual assault and domestic violence. “These days, I might be helping someone with family planning issues, or a general health screening. My job isn’t as intense as it used to be.”

But no matter what their need, Gillespie screens each client for violence.

“I ask every one if they are being exposed to any type of violence. The goal is to catch it early and stop it.”

Gillespie says victims of sexual assault are treated far differently than victims of other crimes or other medical problems. “Victims of sexual assault are put through a huge amount after the fact. A crime has been committed on their body, so not only are you treating wounds, but you’re gathering evidence for a criminal proceeding.”

And it’s that evidence which has be processed according to strict legal guidelines. “There’s a process you have to go through; the way evidence is gathered and handled. It requires specific training.”

In fact, because of the legal and medical requirements only three hospitals in the area: Midwest City Regional, Baptist and Southwest have SANE nurse programs.

“If someone is sexually assaulted, they are usually routed to one of those three hospitals.”

But even then, the process isn’t foolproof.

“Evidence has to be gathered before 72 hours have passed. “If it isn’t, it’s worthless. Then it is turned over to the law enforcement agency that, working with the District Attorney, decide whether or not to purse the case.”

Gillespie says the process can, at times, cause additional wounds to an already fragile victim. “Rape and sexual violence are not sex crimes, they are about power. They are physical crimes with a sexual component; they’ve just been assaulted, then they have to have a forensic exam — a very intimate medical procedure — and hundreds of questions.”

The crimes, she says, should be treated the same as any other violent crime. “All too often the person committing the crime gets away. In our society, we tend to look at the rape victim first; we question their morals. Well, I don’t care what your past is like, no one — absolutely no one — deserves to be raped or abused.”

Making matters worse is the fact that the largest number of victims of sexual assault are in the 15- to 24-year-old age range. “That range has the highest number of cases. And often, many go unreported because of fear.”

In fact, law enforcement officials estimate that in the Cleveland-Oklahoma County area only about one of every four rapes and assaults are reported to police.

“The number of people who live with the scars of sexual assault and never tell anyone is staggering,” she said.

Then, there are the youngsters — the adolescents.

Gillespie says she’s treated rape victims in first grade. “These are babies, they face a complete different set of problems and right now the system for treating them and gathering evidence is awkward, at best. Changes need to be made.”

If a child is assaulted in Cleveland County the child is taken to Norman Regional Hospital for medical treatment, she said. “However, as far as the forensic exam goes, they are then routed to Oklahoma City ... if they can get in.”

Often the family is forced to wait. “And if they have to wait too long, the evidence is gone.” If there is no evidence, there is little chance of prosecuting the offender.

“I know there are many people who want to see changes. But we still have a long way to go. People need to understand just how traumatic sexual assault and domestic violence is. They need to understand how often it happens here. They need to learn how to fight this nightmare.”

A nightmare that Terry Gillespie will fight for the rest of her life.

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