Dr. Stanley M. Saiki & The Honorable Patricia F. Saiki (The Untold Story)
At our annual luncheon fundraiser on October 23, 2006, the Honorable Patricia F. Saiki shared the “untold story” about The Sex Abuse Treatment Center. This heartwarming story was about a physician who wanted to create a safe haven for victims of sexual assault and how he used his personal connection to a Senator to fulfill his dream.
The story began in 1974 when victims of sexual assault were being taken to the City Morgue following a sexual assault. At the morgue, exams were conducted for evidence collection and medical care was not even considered important for the victim. When Dr. Saiki found out about this, he made it his personal mission to change this horrible condition. He had a vision: to create a center complete with medical care, evidence collection, and counseling services for victims of sexual assault. Dr. Saiki set forth on a course of action and met with colleagues and others connected to the medical community to engage them in his mission. While he was successful in doing this, his greatest challenge remained: to find the funding needed to establish a sexual assault center in Hawai'i.
Fortunately, Dr. Saiki had the right connection. He knew the perfect person at the State Legislature to promote his cause—his wife. Senator Saiki, a strong advocate for women’s issues in Hawai'i, took charge and persuaded her legislative colleagues to set aside the needed funds for the first sexual assault center in Hawai'i.
With funds in hand, Dr. Saiki remained the driving force, selecting staff and physicians to work at the center. He worked tirelessly to ensure that victims got the help they needed following a sexual assault—good-bye morgue!
There is so much more to this story to share. But remember this, The Sex Abuse Treatment Center exists and thrives today as one of the most comprehensive programs in the country as a direct result of Dr. Saiki’s leadership and mentoring. We humbly acknowledge and thank the late Dr. Stanley M. Saiki and the Honorable Patricia F. Saiki for their “untold” contributions to The Sex Abuse Treatment Center.