HOUSTON – On Thursday, the Houston Area Women’s Center provided an update on the Houston Police Department’s independent review committee’s report recommendations after the mishandling of sexual assault cases.
The agency is also expanding a new facility and housing community to help survivors of domestic abuse, sexual assault, and sex trafficking.
KPRC2′s Re’Chelle Turner was at the press conference and toured the campus that is still under construction.
Officials with the Houston Area Women’s Center already met with acting Chief Satterwhite last week and will continue to work with the department and officers on how to engage with survivors. The Deputy CEO Sonia Corrales explains how they will help the Sexual Assault Response Team.
“One of the ways that I will tell you that we have worked is, there’s already a victim notification protocol that was created as a result of another initiative that we had here in Houston. And so that victim notification was utilized by the Houston Police Department when they were notifying survivors when these incident reports occurred, and when they were identifying them,” she said.
Members of the Sexual Assault Response Team also known as SART were also at the press conference.
A commander with HPD spoke about the training and steps to continue investigating cases. The report directs HPD to engage with HAWC’s expertise to review and update the victim notification protocols.
“It’s something from meetings with other partnerships. For example, they’re there present with us when we meet with Texas Forensic Nurse Examiners. For example, they conduct all our forensic interviews. And so that is the way of the future that we’re going towards interviewing our survivors, as well as collaborating with the Houston District Attorney’s Office as well, too. And that partnership is they’re there alongside us,” Elizabeth Lorenzana said.
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HAWC’s expansion is nearly complete, and organizers say they hope to move in by the end of year. It includes a new four-story housing facility that can accommodate 360 survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and sex trafficking for up to 12 months. The facility will also offer counseling and behavioral health services, an elementary school and a childcare center.
The Houston Area Women’s Center provides free resources, and you can call their hotline 24/7.