Escondido’s Palomar Hospital has operated the Forensic Health Services center for nearly 30 years. It’s a place that collects evidence from both children and adults who’ve suffered abuse or sexual assault.
Palomar provided nearly half of the program’s annual funding, but recent financial problems have forced the hospital to pull its support.
San Diego County Supervisor Dave Roberts said without a $130,000 influx of cash, the program was at risk of closing its doors.
“And it really caught many people’s attention that this was not an acceptable solution. We had to come up with a public-private partnership," Roberts said.
The partnership includes a $75,000 donation from the Golden Door Foundation. The county will match that. In addition, law enforcement agencies that use the center will pay higher fees.
Cathy McLennan heads up the forensic center. She said on average her staff annually sees 200 adults and 350 children.
McLennan explained sexual abuse of children usually is not apparent through a medical exam.
“So the investigation, particularly in its initial stages, relies very heavily on the statement of the child," she said. "What does the child say happened? And can we prove or disprove that?”
McLennan and her team videotape all the interviews. She said the tapes are often the centerpiece of a trial.
McLennan thinks the children who step forward to tell their stories are remarkable.
“Some of them have not told because they didn’t want to disturb their family members," she said. "They’ve decided to tell sometimes because they needed to protect other people, siblings. They’re amazing.”
The North County forensic center has enough money to stay in business for now. But officials say going forward, they’ll have to make fundraising a major priority.
