Latest news with #SexualAssaultCenter
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Tennessee bill ensuring teen rape victims have access to sexual assault exams fails
Evidence collection kit. () Legislation to guarantee teen victims of sexual assault the right to a forensic rape exam without parental consent failed in the Tennessee Legislature last week, despite drawing strong bipartisan support. The legislation was brought as a technical fix to the 2024 'Families' Rights and Responsibilities Act,' which established a parent's right to 'make all physical and mental healthcare decisions for the child and consent to all physical and mental health care on the child's behalf.' The legislation was among the most recent brought in reaction to the lingering impacts of COVID-era vaccine and testing mandates. Tennessee lawmakers have already passed legislation requiring parental consent for all vaccines. But forensic rape exams, which include collecting evidence for law enforcement and providing medical care and support to victims, were not explicitly made an exception to the 2024 parental consent law, which adds hefty penalties for healthcare providers who fail to comply: parents have the right to sue doctors and nurses who fail to get their consent, and healthcare providers may face professional discipline, including the loss of their licenses. As a result, some sexual assault centers in Tennessee are interpreting the law as tying their hands in serving teens without a parent's permission and have turned young victims away to avoid legal repercussions, victim advocates in Tennessee said this week. TBI makes progress in reducing rape kit backlog 'We have ended up with programs across the state interpreting this law differently,' said Jennifer Escue, CEO of the Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic & Sexual Violence. At least one sexual assault center in East Tennessee has told her it has been unable to serve teen victims on the advice of its attorneys, she said. 'The consequences of this are potentially devastating,' Escue said. 'It takes so much courage, so much bravery, to seek out an exam. To be denied that…they could very well decide they don't want to go through with reporting the crime. It denies an opportunity for collecting evidence, and it might be that someone who is sexually assaulting a minor goes free.' Most teenagers do inform their parents, Escue said. But others may feel reluctant or afraid. Teens are far more likely to have been victimized by someone inside their home or within their family circle, including a parent. A 2024 Tennessee law allowing the death penalty for child rape convictions may add to the reluctance by even nonoffending adults to consent to a teen's rape exam if the perpetrator is known to them, she noted. The Sexual Assault Center in Nashville continues to provide forensic exams to teens 14 and older, a practice it has opted not to change with the passage of the 2024 law, said Rachel Freeman, president of the Sexual Assault Center in Nashville. Facing criticism for turning away victims, Murfreesboro hospital to 'rebuild' sex assault program 'We've had legal counsel saying they can interpret this either way,' she said. 'We've decided it's worth the risk, and the right thing to do is provide exams to minors who need them.' 'This is time sensitive,' Freeman said. 'It cannot be done after 96 hours. That's a very short period of time to try and convince, let's say a mother, to try and get a rape kit.' The bill by Sen. Heidi Campbell and Rep. Bob Freeman, both Nashville Democrats, would have explicitly ensured that the 'consent of a parent or guardian is not required for the victim to receive a forensic medical examination' for minors who are victims of sex crimes. The measure easily sailed through legislative committees and received a rare unanimous vote on the House floor. Then it stalled on the Senate floor last week after Sen. Adam Lowe, a Republican from Calhoun, raised the spectre of children as young as his elementary school-aged daughter undergoing a rape exam over allegations that did not involve a parent as perpetrator. 'Someone could take my daughter for an examination without notifying me,' Lowe said. 'That would be a very potent and traumatizing experience.' Sen. Brent Taylor, a Memphis Republican who previously voted in favor of the bill in committee, then moved to send the bill back for further committee debate, citing 'serious concerns' raised by Lowe and effectively killing the measure for the year. Victim advocates said Lowe's concerns are based on a misunderstanding of systems in place to address child rape and sexual abuse. The Sexual Assault Center in Nashville does not provide rape exams to elementary-school-aged children. The agency serves victims starting at age 16, Freeman said. Child sex abuse victims 13 and younger are typically referred to Child Advocacy Centers and undergo a separate pediatric forensic process, Law enforcement and the Department of Children's Services are notified. 'The reality is a five year old is not going to get a medical legal rape kit,' Freeman said. Like all sexual assault centers, Freeman's agency is a mandatory reporter of child abuse: the assault on any victim under the age of 18 who visits the center is reported to the Department of Children's Services and law enforcement, which, in turn, contact non-offending parents. 'They certainly pull in parents when that happens,' Freeman said. 'The reality is that the people who need to know will end up knowing. Freeman worries that teens in Tennessee will be discouraged from seeking out help after being sexually assaulted but stressed that sexual assault centers will help them. A statewide crisis line can direct teens and other victims to available services and resources. The Tennessee Statewide Sexual Assault Hotline is available 24/7 to provide support and information to sexual assault survivors: 866-811-7473. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Yahoo
Churchgoers testify then-Franklin priest pretended inappropriate touching was accidental
This story contains allegations of sexual abuse including sexual abuse against children. The Sexual Assault Center provides free counseling, advocate services and forensic exams at their SAFE Clinic for anyone. To reach the 24/7 crisis line, please call the Sexual Assault Center at 1-800-879-1999 or contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. A detective, two churchgoers and a seminary student testified against a Franklin priest accused of sexual battery at a packed court hearing on April 11. The detective stated the former priest's church twice spoke with him about his behavior before he was removed from the ministry. Juan Carlos Garcia-Mendoza, a former associate pastor at St. Philip Catholic Church, was indicted in June on one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child, one count of aggravated sexual battery, four counts of sexual battery by an authority figure, and four counts of sexual battery. Prosecutors say there are four minor victims and three adult victims in the case, all of whom are male. The incidents testified to in court by the adults and the detective each followed a similar pattern. They said Garcia-Mendoza would act in his official capacity as a priest, touch their penis over the pants with his hand, act like it was an accident and apologize. Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Mason said behaving like it was an accident was "how he was able to get away with it for so long.' A 39-year-old said he first believed Garcia-Mendoza when he said it was an accident. Then it happened again, he tesfified. 'I knew then that it wasn't normal," a translator said on behalf of the man, who testified in Spanish. Franklin Police Department Det. Andrea Clark testified the four children Garcia-Mendoza is accused of groping were altar servers at St. Philip Catholic Church. Clark said she learned church leaders had twice spoken to him about his "inappropriate touching" of men when examining his employment file. Clark said one warning from the church came after Garcia-Mendoza allegedly inappropriately touched a sick patient while visiting him at a Rutherford County hospital. Church officials reported the allegations to the Diocese of Nashville Safe Environment Office and the Tennessee Department of Children's Services in November 2023. The church also hired an outside investigator, a former FBI agent, to investigate the allegations. The Diocese of Nashville the took action immediately after receiving a report that met the requirements in its Safe Environment Program, Rick Musacchio, executive director at the Tennessee Catholic Conference, said. Garcia-Mendoza was removed from the ministry in November 2023, and the case was turned over to civil authorities, Musacchio said. Clark said she identified other people during her investigation who said they were inappropriately touched by Garcia-Mendoza, but she was unable to get charges in those cases because they were outside of Williamson County or barred by the statute of limitations. The hearing on April 11 was to determine how Garcia-Mendoza, 32, will be tried on the charges. His defense attorney Brent Horst argued the charges involving children should be tried separately from the charges involving adults. Judge Deanna B. Johnson, who called the testimony to inform her decision, has not yet ruled. Garcia-Mendoza is scheduled to go to trial Aug. 11. Garcia-Mendoza appeared in the Williamson County Courthouse, along with his attorney, wearing an orange jumpsuit. He remains in jail on a $2 million bond. All eight rows in Johnson's courtroom were full throughout the hearing. Have questions about the justice system? Evan Mealins is the justice reporter for The Tennessean. Contact him with questions, tips or story ideas at emealins@ Come meet me and the rest of The Tennessean's Metro team at Crieve Hall Bagel Co. on Wednesday, April 16, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Witnesses testify about accusations against ex-Franklin priest
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Yahoo
Franklin life coach Gordon Grigg accused of sex crimes gets October trial date
This story contains allegations of sexual abuse including sexual abuse against children. The Sexual Assault Center provides free counseling, advocate services and forensic exams at their SAFE Clinic for anyone. To reach the 24/7 crisis line, please call the Sexual Assault Center at 1-800-879-1999 or contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. Gordon Grigg, the former Franklin life coach and convicted fraudster, will go to trial this fall on more than a dozen sex crime charges including attempted bestiality and solicitation of rape of a child. Grigg, 62, was indicted on 25 counts by a Williamson County grand jury in June. During an April 11 heairng, Judge Joseph Woodruff set Grigg's trial for Oct. 31 through Nov. 5. After a 10-year stint in federal prison, Grigg became a life coach in Franklin. It appears he also owned the construction company Premier Builder Group in Franklin, based on that company's Facebook page. In his role as a life coach, he stole the identities of at least two victims, according to the indictment. The identity theft was done "with the intent to commit" the sex crimes, the indictment states, but it does not state exactly how. Prosecutors say in summer 2023, Grigg ordered two other people — not the ones whose identities he is accused of stealing — to sexually penetrate children. One of those people was an undercover agent, the indictment states. Twice, he told the adults to penetrate a child younger than 8 years old, according to the indictment. He also told those same adults to have sexual activity with a dog, according to the indictment. After a yearlong investigation between the Franklin Police Department and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, a grand jury on June 5 indicted him on two counts of solicitation of aggravated rape of a child, one count of solicitation of rape of a child, nine counts of attempted bestiality, seven counts of distributing obscene material and six counts of identity theft. A week after the 25-count indictment was returned, Grigg was arrested and booked into the Williamson County Jail on a $1 million bond. His bond was later lowered to $500,000, according to the Williamson County clerk's office. He remains in custody. At the time of his arrest, police said it was possible there were additional victims. Solicitation of the aggravated rape of a child is a Class C felony in Tennessee. Identity theft is a Class D felony, one classification lower. The other charges are Class A misdemeanors. More than 60 victims lost more than $6 million in Grigg's phony investment company ProTrust Management between 1996 and 2009. U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger sentenced him to 10 years in prison in 2009. Trauger said his case 'is very similar to the very famous Madoff Ponzi scheme,' but with 'a more vicious twist" because of his "pattern of preying on vulnerable individuals, people in crisis, in difficult spots in their lives,' and 'the use of religion and appealing to common religious values on the part of the victims.' The prosecution was historic. The Tennessean reported it was the first-ever fraud prosecution related to a Great Recession-era federal bank bailout program. In addition to the prison time, he was ordered to serve three years of supervised release after his sentence and repay $6,154,174 in restitution. Have questions about the justice system? Evan Mealins is the justice reporter for The Tennessean. Contact him with questions, tips or story ideas at emealins@ This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Franklin life coach accused of sex crimes gets October trial date
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Yahoo
‘Safe Bar' program expands in Nashville and new app makes participating bars easy to find
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A program designed to keep people safe and educate bar staff on Broadway is expanding. While Barrel Proof only opened a year ago in Germantown, it's already popular on weekends. It's also one of several bars participating in the Sexual Assault Center's 'Safe Bar' program, which is an initiative raising awareness about alcohol's role in sexual assault. FEBRUARY 2024: More Nashville bars taking sexual assault prevention training through 'SAFE Bar' program 'De-escalation's a big one and also reading body language and reading cues,' said Jason Sorbetmanaging partner of Barrel Proof. 'We have signs in our bathrooms that advertise that we have test strips for ketamine and fentanyl. We have Narcan if we need it — and if anyone feels unsafe, man or woman, they can talk to a bartender.' The number of establishments signing on for this training has grown. In 2022, only two bars on Broadway were participating in the program. As of publication, there are 29 total establishments that have participated. The SAC told News 2 that 25 more bars were trained last year.'One of the reasons why [the] Sexual Assault Center took this program on is because nationally, 50% of all sexual assaults include alcohol,' Lorraine McGuire, VP of community relations for SAC, said. 'We've put a lot of focus on Broadway in the last year or two, and we would love to take that focus and go to Music Row and go to all the other places where people go.' It's also easier for you to know which bars are Safe Bar trained using your nonprofit launched a new app this month that allows you to look up which bars are participating — they're searchable by city, name or ZIP code. The app is called 'SAC Safe Bar.' JANUARY | 'A very good step in the right direction': Advocates celebrate new TN law requiring more training for bartenders and servers It's an effort leaders hope will help provide resources to protect people so a fun night doesn't become a tragic one. 'It is a very terrible experience for somebody to put something in your drink and for you to lose memory or lose consciousness — whether or not you're assaulted, it's a really scary thing,' McGuire said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Axios
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Victim services nonprofits ask state for emergency funding
Tennessee nonprofits that help victims of violence are asking for emergency state funding in order to avoid a financial cliff. Why it matters: The nonprofits deal with domestic violence, sexual abuse, human trafficking and child abuse. Without state help, some victim services nonprofits could shutter while others are bracing to scale back their vital work. State of play: The financial emergency is driven largely by a drop in funding from the federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), primarily fines and penalties paid by people convicted of crimes. Bureaucratic changes to the VOCA funding formula take effect July 1, so nonprofit groups have been preparing for funding reductions for months. There's also been a sharp drop in penalties as federal prosecutors pursue more plea deals in recent years. Exacerbating the issue is that federal pandemic relief funds picked up the slack in recent years, but that money is drying up. What they're saying: More than 360 people representing victim services groups from across Tennessee co-signed a letter asking state officials to commit to a recurring $25 million fund. The Sexual Assault Center and the YWCA are among the prominent local victim services nonprofits in Nashville behind the cause. "Service providers across Tennessee are at a breaking point," Children's Advocacy Centers of Tennessee executive director Stephen Woerner said in a press release. "Without the dollars to back them up, shelters won't be able to stay open, crisis hotlines will go unanswered, and child victims of physical and sexual abuse will be left with nowhere to turn." The latest: Rachel Freeman, president of the Sexual Assault Center, tells Axios advocates have been meeting with lawmakers regularly since last fall to discuss the issue and that they had an "encouraging" meeting with Lee's office earlier this week. There was no money earmarked for the nonprofit groups in Lee's initial budget, but amendments are common. Lee told reporters Monday that "victims advocacy and victims rights are incredibly important parts of the entire criminal justice system," adding it's "possible" money will be directed to the nonprofit groups in the upcoming supplemental budget. According to the Tennessee Lookout, 35 states have directed funding to victim services nonprofits. The bottom line: "This situation is unprecedented in my 24 years at the Sexual Assault Center," Freeman says. "People take for granted there will always be funds for victims services groups and that's not the case."
