New Pinal medical forensic department helps victims
by Mark Cowling | Casa Grande Dispatch
Up to now, many Pinal County victims of domestic violence or sexual assault had to be taken to clinics in the Valley to be examined. Many times, they said, they just couldn’t make the trip; they never received any medical care and evidence was lost.
“(They say) ‘I can’t leave my children for that many hours,’ ” or have other circumstances that limit their time, said forensic nurse Tascha Spears.
“Once they’re told they’ll be going to a different county, their first question is ‘How far is that?’ and then, ‘Where do I go for follow-up care? … I can’t go all the way back to Mesa or Scottsdale or Phoenix.’ They forgo really important medical care, (and) resources that they can use.”
