Louisiana’s response to sexual assault victims remains fragmented despite years of legislative action, with inconsistent oversight, uneven access to trained nurses and heavy reliance on federal funding, according to a new Louisiana Legislative Auditor report.

The audit, requested by lawmakers through Act 289 of the 2025 Regular Session, examined how state agencies, hospitals, law enforcement and advocacy organizations respond to sexual assault and identified multiple areas where lawmakers could strengthen oversight and coordination.

While Louisiana has enacted laws requiring regional Sexual Assault Response plans and expanded services for survivors, auditors found no single entity is clearly responsible for ensuring those plans comply with state law or operate consistently across the state.

“The state’s response system is fragmented,” the report concludes, noting that hospitals, law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, victim advocates and state agencies largely operate within their own systems despite serving many of the same survivors.

The findings come as the report highlights a significant gap between reported crimes and estimated victimization. Louisiana State Police reported 559 rape arrests and 53 rape convictions during fiscal 2025, while a Tulane University survey estimated roughly 365,000 adults experienced sexual harassment or sexual assault in the previous year. The survey also found 84% of victims did not report the incident.

Access to medical care also varies by location.

Auditors found Louisiana had at least 77 practicing sexual assault nurse examiners, or SANEs, as of February – the lowest number per 1,000 residents among nine states examined in the audit. About 86% of the state’s 2,303 forensic medical examinations between July 2024 and February 2026 were performed by certified or trained SANEs, but survivors cannot always receive that level of care at their local hospital.

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