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Regional SART reports rising assault counts, vows local SANE access by mid‑2026
Summary
A Winter Garden Women’s Shelter representative told Dimmit County commissioners the regional Sexual Assault Response Team has formalized protocols and reported an increase in adult sexual assault reports from 5 (2023) to 19 (2025); Dimmit Regional Hospital lacks on‑site SANEs but a memorandum of understanding and DOJ grant will place nurses in the region by mid‑2026.
A representative of the Winter Garden Women’s Shelter told the Dimmit County Commissioners Court on Dec. 8 that the region’s Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) has formalized protocols and is expanding services after a period of pandemic‑era interruption.
The presenter said the SART was created under state law after Senate Bill 476 and is intended to ensure victims of adult sexual assault have access to coordinated medical care, advocacy and referrals. "This response team was created as a result of Senate Bill 476," the presenter said, noting the team covers multiple counties and relies on interagency cooperation.
The report included data the presenter said were collected from area law enforcement: five adult sexual assault reports in 2023, 13 in 2024 and 19 in 2025, signaling an upward trend. The presenter also told the court that different agencies use different reporting systems and that the team did not receive consistent prosecution data from the district attorney’s office for some years.
Dimmit Regional Hospital currently does not have on‑site Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) coverage, the presenter said, and victims are frequently transported to other hospitals. The presenter described a memorandum of understanding with the South Texas Regional Advisory Council and a Department of Justice grant that will fund four additional SANEs to be stationed in the region; she said those nurses are expected to serve Dimmit Regional and nearby hospitals by mid‑2026.
The presenter outlined services SART provides, including hospital accompaniment by advocates on a 24/7 rotation, trauma‑informed protocols for medical and law‑enforcement response, interagency training, and development of bylaws and operating procedures. She said the COVID‑19 pandemic and staff turnover had delayed case reviews and other activities but that protocols adopted in June had established a foundation for coordinated response.
Commissioners asked whether the district attorney’s office had provided prosecution data and about a hotline number for victims; the presenter said the DA’s office had not provided some requested case information but now has an active participant. The presenter offered to help the court submit the mandated biannual report to the governor’s office by the Feb. 1, 2026 deadline.
The court took no formal action beyond accepting the informational report; the presenter left materials and offered to assist with filing the required state report.
