JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Women's Center of Jacksonville unveiled a new program Thursday that will provide treatment and counseling under one roof for victims of sexual assault.
The center is now eligible to perform a sexual assault forensic exam, also known as the Safe Program. It's a full-body exam for victims 18 and older, during which doctors can collect DNA and document injuries.
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That information can then be given to investigators, if the victim chooses to file a police report
The center is also increasing the amount of time in which victims can get the exam from three days after the attack to five days and is offering transportation to its facility.
Trisha Meili, known to the world as "the Central Park jogger," was at Thursday's announcement in Jacksonville.
Meili was in the news 25 years ago when she was attacked in New York City's Central Park and wound up in a coma for nearly two weeks.
She said centers like the Women's Center of Jacksonville, which serves Duval, Nassau and Baker counties, are important for communities.
"Survivors are in a position of feeling and being so vulnerable," Meili said. "They feel a complete loss of control. And to have people there solely for their benefit and to be with them and to help them, to empower them, (to help them) gain strength and confidence is really essential in the healing process."
Because of her coma and delirium after her attack, Meili (pictured) said she was in no condition to receive counseling or advocacy from Mount Sinai Hospital's Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention Program. But she said counselors at the rape crisis center were able to help her family.
"Because the attack on me was also an attack on them," Meili said. "They had to deal with the overwhelming emotions of having a daughter, a sister, a niece, who had been raped and who had suffered this brutal violence. But the support from SAVI helped my family come to terms with the crisis. And then that allowed them to support me, and that was just so crucial to my healing."