In honour of their third anniversary, organisers of the Sexual Response Team Project highlighted the successful completion of four nurses trained abroad to specifically treat sexually abused victims.

In a gathering yesterday at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, which included members of the Women's Resource Centre, the Ministry of Health and Family Services and the Bermuda Hospitals Board, organisers hailed the accomplishments of Victoria Manning, Kae Thomas, Muriel Williams and Judith Brewster-Minors.

All have completed training in the US specifically to respond to the needs of sexually abused victims.

The project also took the opportunity to launch other initiatives that hoped to maintain their success for many years to come.

The Sexual Response Team Project was started three years ago in an effort to find a more "organised and compassionate approach" in caring for victims of sexual abuse, said organisers.

And in last year alone just over two dozen cases have been tried and prosecuted, which organisers believe is a benefit of enacting the project.

On hand to speak to the legalities of prosecuting sexual abuse cases was Department of Public Prosecution's Oonagh Vaucrosson.

She expressed the need for the public to be vigilant about stamping out this kind of crime as well as the importance of her department bringing to justice criminals who committed sexual assaults.

But organisers said the addition of the four nurses, who have all completed a 14-day training seminar, is a crowning achievement destined to make the project stronger.

Dr. Monica Hoefert, medical co-director for the Sexual Assault Response Team, said: "I see that the SART programme is maturing and strengthening as members of our team gain more experience in the art and science of forensic examinations."

Dr. Hoefert said that the opportunity offered valuable hands on experience for the nurses who also managed to hone their training through "educational conferences".