Alice Vol. 2 No. 1

eing passed off nurse-to-nurse, Potts
stays with the victim throughout the
testing and examinations.
“I explain the services available to
them at Grady and in the state,” Potts
said. “I make sure they leave the hospital
safely whether that means securing
transportation for them, clothes
or food.”
In 2012, Potts became a state-certified
sexual assault counselor in the state
of Connecticut through Connecticut
Sexual Assault Crisis Services. She explains
on her blog, A Fight Back Woman,
that the process took six weeks and
a total of 30 hours. After completion,
Potts says she was required to volunteer
at least 24 hours per month answering
the rape crisis hotline, meeting victims
in hospitals or joining the victims
in court. However, her experiences in
Connecticut and Georgia have been
night and day.
“You are recognized as having a legit
and legal role in cases you handle,”
Potts said. “I could assure victims
confidentiality in most circumstances
and not have to compromise that no
matter what happens in the courts.
In Georgia, there is no state certification
and the GNESA (Georgia
Network to End Sexual Assault) is
poorly organized. I have had to make
my own way.”
Alabama public hospitals, imcluding
the Druid City Hospital Regional Medical
Center, are faced with an even bigger
issue regarding advocacy for sexual
assault victims. A DCH representative
said the hospital offers no advocacy
program at this time. However, anyone
who checks into the hospital reporting
they have been a sexual assault victim
is immediately taken to their own room
where a doctor examines them, the
DCH representative said. If the victim
wishes to pursue the assault further, a
nurse will explain the options they are
able to take to file a report.
In both states, Georgia and Alabama
are limited to what they are able to
I want to better their
understanding of how the
crime works so that when they
sit as jurors, they actually put
these guys away instead of
picking apart the victim.
[48] Alice November 2016