His heart goes out to the 26-year-old woman and those who support her, he told reporters in St. Andrews on Tuesday, pledging to continue discussions with prime ministers to improve the system. “This is something we take incredibly seriously.” On Monday, CBC News reported that the woman went to Dr. Everett Chalmers ER to do a forensic exam for sexual assault and was told to schedule an appointment for the next day because there was no trained nurse available. The woman, who CBC News is not naming, said she was still in shock after being told to go home at night, not to shower or change and to use the bathroom as little as possible to help preserve any evidence. “It’s unacceptable for a survivor to face this kind of response,” Trudeau said. “We know how difficult it is in some cases to deal with institutions, whether it’s hospitals or the police, after this kind of violence,” he said. “As hard as this story was to hear yesterday, we know there are stories like this across the country, of people not getting the service and support they so deeply need from people who would like to provide it but are stressed and very impossible in our medical systems across the country.” The Regional Hospital Dr. Everett Chalmers in Fredericton is one of 12 hospitals in the province that offer the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program, known as SANE. (Joe McDonald/CBC) Trudeau noted that the federal government has contributed about $72 billion more to health care during the pandemic and is committed to more investment. “But I think everyone knows it’s not just about more money in the system, it’s about better outcomes,” he said. “It’s about getting more support for those front-line workers, nurses and doctors and people in our hospitals who are increasingly grounded, increasingly exhausted, increasingly overworked, that we need to give them more resources and better conditions to work. “That’s what we’re very concerned about, working in the provinces — not because the federal government should be dictating the terms of work or the allocation of resources. But because we need to be clear that Canadians deserve a system that works better than it does right now and that money will be part of the solution, but not the only solution.” Shortly after the CBC story about the woman was published, Horizon Health Network’s interim CEO and president Margaret Melanson announced a review of how the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) program is managed. Prime Minister Blaine Higgs also issued a statement about what he described as an “unacceptable situation and reflects a process driven by very poor decision-making and a lack of compassion”. He said he spoke with Melanson to express his “concerns and frustration and to emphasize that this situation needs to be addressed immediately. “I was assured that every victim of sexual assault will get the services they need when they need them,” she said. “I will be watching to make sure that is indeed the case,” he added. The woman took the sexual assault test that night, but only after a Fredericton police officer intervened and a nurse was called. She decided to talk about her experience, she said, to make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else. “No woman who has been rushed should ever be told to come back tomorrow for help after finding the courage to ask for help,” the woman said. On Aug. 1, Western District RCMP received a report of a sexual assault that allegedly occurred in their jurisdiction, New Brunswick RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Hans Ouellette said. On Aug. 10, a 32-year-old man was arrested in connection with the sexual assault and released on parole pending a future court date, Ouellette said. No charges have been filed, he said. The investigation continues.
