PETERSBURG – Medical staff, an advocacy group and the police station in Petersburg have created a three-pronged approach to sexual assault cases.

“Understanding what sexual assault is, it’s kind of eye-opening,” said Annette Wooton, the executive director of a Petersburg advocacy group called WAVE, or Working Against Violence for Everyone. “For a lot of people, when you look at the statutes, you realize ‘oh, I’ve been assaulted.’”

The Sexual Assault Response Team, or SART, is headed by local police, medical professionals and WAVE. Wooton said the first step for anyone, le...