A Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) is a multidisciplinary team made up of the county prosecutor, victim service provider, sexual assault nurse examiner, and law enforcement. This team provides interagency, coordinated responses to prioritize victim needs, hold offenders accountable, and promote public safety. Indiana Code 16-21-8-1.5 requires that if a SART has not been established in a county, the prosecuting attorney shall appoint one in that county, or the county shall join with one or more other counties to create a regional SART, to comply with duties assigned to these important response services.
ICESA Created a SART TOOLKIT to help counties create a SART or manage an existing one
One of the most important aspects of the collaboration that arise from SARTs is the trust that each team member gains in the methods and goals of all participants in the coordinated response and the knowledge that each participant is acting in support of a victim-centered approach. The duties of a SART are outlined in IC 16-21-8-2.
SART members typically meet on a regular schedule to review recent sexual assault cases and seek to
- Improve victims’ access to services by addressing barriers
- Improve how systems’ personnel treat survivors
- Ensure comprehensive service delivery
- Increase offender accountability by increasing reporting and conviction rates
Indiana law requires that SARTs create a protocol that establishes the collection, preservation, secured storage, and destruction of sexual assault forensic medical exam samples (commonly called rape kits).
Indiana SART Coverage Map
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