Illinois

Illinois law requires hospitals treat sexual assault victims, but challenges exist

Published

1 year ago

November 13, 2024

Illinois law requires hospitals treat sexual assault victims, but challenges exist

CHICAGO – An Illinois law designed to ensure victims of sexual assault receive proper care inside hospitals also includes carve out that allows patients to be transferred if hospitals can’t provide services like rape kit exams, but it can have unintended consequences.

Advocates argue this can disrupt the chain of custody for things like evidence collection and creates a chilling effect where victims may decide to not to travel further to get a rape exam.

“That now means a survivor has to go that much further, that’s where we see the real-life impact on a survivor,” said Carrie Ward with the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault.

An NBC 5 Investigates’ review of 185 Illinois hospital inspection reports filed by the Illinois Department of Public Health between 2018 and 2024 found hospitals across the state have failed to properly treat victims through a series of missteps – from poor record-keeping to more serious violations like failing to contact police and turnover rape kits – some which we found sat on the shelves for years.

While Illinois law requires that hospitals offer treatment, there’s no real consequence for those that don’t.

NBC 5 Investigates could find only one hospital – Weiss Memorial in Chicago – that had been fined over the past six years and that was only after its previous plans of correction were rejected by the state. The hospital had been found in violation for failing to have adequate staff and supplies and failing to offer forensic exams.

All told, our investigation found 88 Illinois hospitals over a period of six years failed to properly treat victims of sexual assault, though that figure could be an undercount given that hospital inspectors only looked at a sampling of patient records during inspections.

The state law known as the Illinois Sexual Assault Survivors Emergency Treatment Act – or SASETA – requires that hospital offer services to rape victims – including offering rape kit exams, contacting police, providing information on STD and drug testing and other services like access to a shower free of charge and sexual assault counselors.

But our months-long investigation found time again – that didn’t happen.

And of the 85 hospitals we found with transfer agreements, more than half send patients between 40 to 80 miles away.

When 62-year old Cheryl Thompson went to Union County Hospital on New Year’s Day to report she’d be sexually assaulted, she says the ER physician told her she was “too fat and too tall” to have been assaulted. In her statement to Illinois State Police, Thompson said the doctor was dismissive of her claims. She filed a complaint with the IDPH.

Months later inspectors found the hospital had collected her urine and blood to test it for a date rape drug, but failed to contact police.

Traumatized by her experience, Thompson says she waited eight days to go to another hospital even though Union County Hospital had offered her a referral to another hospital in Mount Vernon – more than 70 miles away.

“I basically blame that hospital because I have no DNA,” she said.

In a recent interview, State Rep. Kelly Cassidy told NBC 5 Investigates that she’d like change state law to rein in how far victims are forced to travel.

“I think a lot needs to change. I think we need real accountability measures. I don’t think it’s acceptable anymore to allow hospitals to violate these laws with impunity. Trying to be partners and working together has worked.”

The Illinois Health and Hospital Association blamed the problems on changes to the law in 2018 noting that it created “challenges … hindering optimal access to care for survivors…” according to a statement sent to NBC 5 Investigates.

Specifically, the IHA referenced the challenge in hiring sexual assault nurse examiners and said it is working with the hospital community and other state agencies to “identify statutory or regulatory changes” that “may further ensure survivors are treated in a timely manner.”

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Illinois

Over 81K deer harvested in Illinois firearm deer season

Published

10 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

Over 81K deer harvested in Illinois firearm deer season

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (KWQC) – Early numbers show more than 81,000 deer were harvested during Illinois’ firearm deer season this year.

Officials said preliminary totals show 91,225 deer were harvested during the seven-day season that ended on Dec. 7, according to a news release.

This is down from the 82,496 deer harvested during the firearm season last year, officials said.

Local firearm deer season totals:

Rock Island County: 728
Whiteside County: 699
Jo Davies County: 1,336
Knox County: 1,057
Henry County: 572
Mercer County: 873
Warren County: 516
Bureau County: 909

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Illinois

Bears again expand stadium search, including outside Illinois

Published

22 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

Bears again expand stadium search, including outside Illinois

CHICAGO — Three days before hosting their biggest game at Soldier Field in years, the Chicago Bears are exploring moving outside the city for which they are named.

In an open letter to fans Wednesday evening, team president and CEO Kevin Warren said the Bears will explore other locations — including outside of Cook County, where the team owns a 326-acre property in Arlington Heights, Illinois — to build a domed stadium.

That includes moving the Bears out of Illinois altogether.

“In addition to Arlington Park, we need to expand our search and critically evaluate opportunities throughout the wider Chicagoland region, including Northwest Indiana,” Warren said. “This is not about leverage. We spent years trying to build a new home in Cook County. We invested significant time and resources evaluating multiple sites and rationally decided on Arlington Heights.

“Our fans deserve a world-class stadium. Our players and coaches deserve a venue that matches the championship standard they strive for every day. With that in mind, our organization must keep every credible pathway open to deliver that future.”

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker pushed back against a potential move of the team out of the state.

“Suggesting the Bears would move to Indiana is a startling slap in the face to all the beloved and loyal fans who have been rallying around the team during this strong season,”Pritzker spokesperson Matt Hill said in a statement. “The Governor’s a Bears fan who has always wanted them to stay in Chicago. He has also said that ultimately they are a private business.”

The Bears purchased the Arlington Park property that formerly housed the Arlington International Racecourse for $197 million in 2023, shortly before Warren replaced Ted Phillips as team president and CEO. The Bears proposed building a 60,000-seat fixed-roof stadium within a $5 billion mixed-use development.

Not long after closing on the land in Arlington Heights, the team began exploring options for a new stadium site when it announced its plans to build at the Arlington Park site were “at risk” as negotiations over property taxes reached a $100 million impasse.

Shortly before the 2024 draft, the Bears shifted their focus to building their new stadium on the lakefront south of Soldier Field and announced they would invest more than $2 billion in private money into the construction and development of the stadium and surrounding areas.

Although the team has maintained that the construction of a new stadium will be privately funded, concerns over the burden placed on taxpayers to fund the infrastructure around the stadium led to an impasse. That led the Bears to explore Arlington Heights once again as an option, which Warren announced during league meetings in April. Ahead of the Bears’ home opener against theMinnesota Vikingson Sept. 8, Warren released a letter to fans, saying the team’s sights were set on building in Arlington Heights. He has said throughout the year that the goal was to break ground before the end of 2025.

However, the Bears have been in a battle with lawmakers over tax breaks and securing $855 million in public funding for costs related to building the new stadium.

“We have not asked for state taxpayer dollars to build the stadium at Arlington Park,” Warren said. “We asked only for a commitment to essential local infrastructure [roads, utilities, and site improvements], which is more than typical for projects of this size. Additionally, we sought reasonable property tax certainty to secure financing. We listened to state leadership and relied on their direction and guidance, yet our efforts have been met with no legislative partnership.”

The Bears’ current lease at Soldier Field runs through 2033. On Saturday night, the 10-4 Bears will host the Green Bay Packers in a high-stakes meeting that will heavily determine Chicago’s path to the postseason.br/]

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