Raised treatment centre advised for J. O. Ruddy By SUSAN LESJAK Free Press Staff The Durham district health council report on sexual abuse confirms that many professionals working in abuse have known for a long time: the region badly needs a special hospital unit to treat victims of sexual abuse. According to the council's executive director, Mick Peters, there is good coor- dination between the region's police, social agencies and crisis cen- tres in responding to assault calls, but "what is missing is a coor- dinated medical respon- se." The report documents that the hospitals see only a very small per- centage of all victims of abuse. Of the 188 reports of sexual assault received by the Durham Regional Police in 1984, and the 244 calls for ad- vice reported by the rape crisis centres (in Oshawa and Port Perry), only 36 victims showed up at hospitals. "Very few people go to the hospital for treatment because they know they won't get looked after if they do go," explained Peters. Right now, victims of sexual abuse must go to the emergency room for treatment, and wait - often for long periods - before seeing a doctor. As the doctor is typically busy with other emergency cases and cannot afford time to examine the victim, another physician must be called in. The reluc- tance of many doctors to perform such examinations, often makes it difficult for the victim to get the medical attention she needs. Furthermore, as emergency room staff are not trained to deal with victims of assault, there is no counselling available. In short, "the whole experience of going to the hospital would be very traumatic for the victim," said Peters. According to the report, sexual assault is "a very serious and prevalent problem in Durham Region" and a sexual assault treat- ment and prevention program is needed locally. The report stressed that "it was the strong consensus of all hospital representatives, police, rape crisis centres and children's services that something has to be done to improve the situation for victims in particular and to strive towards a comprehen- sive approach to the problem." The council, which prepared the report at the request of the for- mer Minister of Health (under the Tory gover- nment), is looking to the iew Minister of Health, Murray Elston, for 100 percent funding for the program. It is estimated that the centre - recommended to be located within J.O. Ruddy Hospital - will cost $75,000 a year. The bulk of the cost will go to pay the salary of the centre's coor- dinator and the roaster of nurses to be kept on- call for emergencies. Doctors will also be on- call although their fee schedule is covered by OHIP, and does not represent an additional cost. The centre, if ap- proved, will provide medical treatment, counselling and follow- up treatment to victims of abuse - both adults and children. It will also be responsible for coor- dinating preventative educational programs in the schools. According to the Oshawa-based council on Family Violence and Child Abuse fully eight percent of ail reported child assaults in the province, occur in Durham Region, "and we certainly don't have eight percent of the province's children," said Peters. The district health council expects to hear whether its proposal for an assault centre has been approved sometime early next year. Peters says that the centre can be operational within a few months of receiving the 'province's go-ahead. WI'TBY FREE 1PRESS, MONDA Y, DIICEMI3ER 30, 1985, PAGE 3 All spruced up The Town of Whitby was all spruced up for Christmas. inviting entrance ways spotted by the Free Press' roving Wreaths decked the doors of most houses and reindeer and photographer over the weekend. snowmen perched on many lawns. Above are two of the more Free Press Staff Photo Police charge Winsor man with impaired driving A Windsor man was Hospital where he was driving exceeding the Damage to the truck $3,000. Thélatter, owned arrested early Sunday receiving stitches for legal limit of alcohol, is estimated at $9,000, by Daniel Williams of morning (Dec. 22) after lacerations to his head. failure to stop and while damage to the Windsor, was impoun- fleeing the scene of a Tesolin has been possession of a small vehicle Tesolin was ded by police. motnr vehicle accident charged with impaired quantity of marijuana. driving is estimated at Durham Regional police say Sandro Marco Tesolin, 20, was driving northbound on Brock St. S. when he hit a '71 Ford van parked on the side of the road. After hitting the van, Tesolin is believed to have fled the scene on foot. Police later found Tesolin in the emergen- cy room of J.O Ruddy Bllizzared The blizzard Sunday, Dec. 22, made roads treacherous and sent numerous cars skidding into other cars. Whitby OPP report 12 highway accidents Sunday mor- ning - ail caused by the snow. While police say there were several in- juries, ail were minor. No charges were laid. Memorial Gardens settles out of court on wrongful dismissal By SUSAN LESJAK Free Press Staff Memorial Gardens, the Toronto-based com- pany accused of racist promotion practices by one of its former em- ployees, has reached an out-of-court settlement with the employee who made the allegations. While neither party would reveal the terms of the settlement, the lawyer for former em- ployee Wayne Offer said that the settlement was "to the satisfaction" of his client. Offer was suing the company for wrongful dismissal and had asked for $80,000 in compen- sation for lost wages and punitive damage. He also filed a com- plaint with the Ontario Humane Rights Com- mission alleging that the management denied him promotion and ultimately fired him because he was married to a black woman. (Of- fer, himself, is white). After a nation-wide investigation into the company, the human rights commission found sufficient eviden- ce to recommend that a board of inquiry be ap- pointed to rule in the case. As yet, however, no date had been set for the injury and it is now likely that the complain- ts will be dropped. According to Offer's lawyer, Charles Morison, the terms of the settlement prohibit Offer from speaking to the media or commen- ting on the contents of the settlement. A spokesman for the human rights com- mission acknowledged, however, that it is not unusual for human rights complaints to be dropped as part of a civil litigation sel- tlement. In such cases, the decision to proceed with the inquiry is at the discretion of the com- mission. The spokesman, would not comment, however, on whether the commission had plans to proceed with the case. 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