Fentiman’s latest failure exposed as rape kit promises broken

AUDIT REPORT BOMBSHELL
9 hour wait despite 10 minute benchmark

A bombshell audit review has unearthed shocking failures in forensic medical examinations, with victims waiting up to nine hours before receiving a rape kit at hospital.

In a scathing assessment handed down last Friday, it was also revealed sexual assault victims are still being failed by a system under immense strain.

It comes despite repeated assurances from Health Minister Shannon Fentiman that she would provide better support for sexual assault victims and ensure clinicians were trained in performing rape kits.

Staff shortages have also been identified as another reason victims are waiting three hours on average before a forensic medical examination begins.

The Health Minister promised victims would receive rape kits within ten minutes of presenting to a hospital.

The Delivering Forensic Medical Examinations audit report found:

• Just 4 out of 6 recommendations from the 2018-19 report have been implemented.
• 49 victims were left longer than the required 10 minutes and there may be many others hospitals may not have reported.
• Between January and March 2024, it took an average of 3 hours for rape kits to be administered and one patient waited 9 hours at a hospital before a doctor started the forensic medical examination.
• Only 1 of the 4 Health and Hospital Services audited recorded the time it took to begin a forensic medical examination.
  Under Labor, Queenslanders will wait another 15 months for a reporting framework to be in place.
   

Shadow Minister for the Prevention of Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Amanda Camm said the Auditor-General’s scathing findings showed Labor had failed rape victims.

“These failures are symptomatic of everything wrong with this decade-old Labor government,” Ms Camm said.

“It’s a damning indictment on Labor and Shannon Fentiman and exposes the truth that Labor will say and do anything but they can’t be trusted to deliver on their promises,” Ms Fentiman said.

“These rape victims deserved more than Parliamentary platitudes about 10 minute benchmarks when they were left to languish for hours on end.  

“They deserved help in their hour of need.

“This is utterly unforgivable and more proof nothing will change unless we change the government.

“Only the LNP will easier access to health services, with the Right Plan for Queensland’s Future.”