As of March 1, victims of sexual assault in Marin County have one less barrier on their path to healing, with forensic examinations now offered in San Rafael as opposed to distant Vallejo. The exams were outsourced to Kaiser Permanente’s Vallejo Medical Center over a decade ago because of the low frequency of cases in Marin. With just two or three dozen reports of sexual assault a year, it was difficult to retain a team of nurses trained and willing to collect evidence. Opinions have differed on whether Marin should move its exams back. A 2018 civil grand jury report recommended the county continue to contract with Vallejo because the program was efficient and dependable; victims at Marin General might have to wait hours until trained nurses were available, the jury argued. But the Marin Women’s Commission recommended moving the service, citing the travel time and anecdotal evidence that it was a deterrent. Although victims who undergo an exam are not required to report the assault to law enforcement, exams can provide helpful evidence and access to needed medical care. “The complexity of sexual assault makes reporting difficult for victims,” said Kari Cordero, executive director of Napa Solano SANE-SART, the regional nonprofit network that has helped Marin’s victims for years. “They not only have to report it to a law enforcement agency, but then law enforcement has to contact our team to set up an exam in Vallejo, and that’s a deal breaker for a lot of victims.”  Last July, the Board of Supervisors approved a pilot project to bring the exams from Vallejo to San Rafael, but the project was delayed because of pandemic-related staffing commitments by nurses and a lack of time for training. Now, two nurses will conduct exams at the Terra Linda facility and receive staffing support from the examiners in Vallejo. District Attorney Lori Frugoli said domestic violence and sexual assault crimes affect a disproportionate number of underserved communities and people of color, making access to medical care and forensic tests of particular importance.