Charging for Rape Kits in Wasilla, Alaska
By Kay Steiger - Sep 9th, 2008 at 11:37 amVia Mike Tomasky, apparently during Sarah Palin’s reign as mayor of Wasilla the hospital had a policy of charging victims for rape kits:
While the Alaska State Troopers and most municipal police agencies have covered the cost of exams, which cost between $300 to $1,200 apiece, the Wasilla police department does charge the victims of sexual assault for the tests.
The thing is this is actually a fairly common practice around the country and doesn’t really have anything to do with Sarah Palin or Wasilla. This is a real problem in this country. Yes, it’s linked to the fact that people have to pay for medical care in this country whether they can afford it or not. But the fact of the matter is, if you are a rape victim, that event will cost you. It will cost you in medical bills, therapy, and legal fees if you choose to press charges. This shouldn’t be the policy in Wasilla and it shouldn’t be the policy anywhere in this country.
[...] Kay Steiger says that this actually isn’t all that uncommon in the United States, which is even more [...]
September 9th, 2008 at 12:46 pm