Seventeen nurses in the U.S. Virgin Islands have completed specialized training to administer rape kits as part of a new partnership between the V.I. Justice Department and Emory University, Attorney General Gordon C. Rhea announced Friday.
The training, made possible through the Special Assistance Funding Program Grant, is a step toward creating a local network of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners and establishing a coordinated Sexual Assault Response Team to improve the territory’s response to sexual violence, according to the press release.
“This partnership represents a significant step forward in how we support survivors of sexual violence in the Virgin Islands,” said Rhea. “By equipping our nurses with specialized forensic training and building a comprehensive response team, we are strengthening our commitment to justice, compassion, and healing for victims.”
The collaboration included a March 2025 site visit to St. Thomas by the Emory SAFE Program team, which conducted a community needs assessment. During their visit, the team, which included 10 nursing students, met with officials from the Justice Department, the Virgin Islands Police Department, and the Family Resource Center to share their findings. The assessment will help guide development of the SART model and enhance victim care and forensic evidence collection in sexual assault cases, the press release stated.
The DOJ’s Criminal Division in the St. Thomas-St. John district is leading the local implementation of the grant, the release stated.
