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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
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Woman Claims Doctor Discouraged Her|From Getting Rape Kit Examination

CHICAGO (CN) - An alleged victim of sexual assault claims in court that a doctor advised her not to get a rape test and failed to test her for any date rape drugs.

Margaret Palermini sued Provena Covenant Medical Center aka Presence Health, Dr. Pamela Bailey Herbert, and Susan Hanson in Cook County Court.

Palermini says she was the victim of sexual assault in September 2011 at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's campus. She filed a police report, then went to Presence Health for treatment.

"At Presence, Ms. Palermini was attended to by Ms. Hanson under the supervision of Dr. Herbert. Ms. Palermini also advised Ms. Hanson that she had no recollection of the prior night's events but that she was sent to Provena by MHC [McKinley Health Center] because MHC suspected that Ms. Palermini had been the victim of a sexual assault.

"Ms. Palermini requested a forensic rape examination at Presence. However, in response, Ms. Hanson told Ms. Palermini that the forensic rape test 'would not be admissible' in court and that, therefore, administering a forensic rape test would be useless and Ms. Palermini should not have the test done," the lawsuit states.

Palermini adds that "although Ms. Hanson and Dr. Herbert were aware that Ms. Palermini could not recall the prior nights' events, they failed to take a blood sample to determine whether Ms. Palermini had been administered any type of 'date rape' drug."

She seeks more than $100,000 in damages for negligence.

She is represented by Joanne Matousek, of Wilmette.

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