Joe Biden, Loretta Lynch Pledge Millions To Resolve Rape Kit Backlog

“We know that these rape kits can help catch perpetrators and prevent additional attacks, so we should do everything we can to cut through this backlog and give victims the justice they deserve”, said U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, a Memphis Democrat who had pushed for federal funds for backlog reduction efforts.

Memphis is also awaiting word today on another grant to help clear the backlog. “We will not forget you”. “You are not alone”. USA Today estimates the true number of untested kits is in the hundreds of thousands. Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.is using corporate forfeiture funds toward the effort.

Louisville Metro Police Department officials told The Courier-Journal in July they had 1,073 sexual assault kits they weren’t sure were ever tested – a count prompted by the state audit.

But is $79 million enough of a solution?

The exact contents of a rape kit may vary slightly from one jurisdiction to another, but all contain a checklist, materials for collection and storage and instructions for those administering the forensic exam. Kits commonly include bags and paper for evidence collection, a comb, materials for blood samples, and swabs.

The Riverside Police Department has been awarded almost than $434,000 to clear a backlog of 650 untested rape kits, which could holds clues to unsolved crimes in this county and beyond.

The Alameda County district attorney’s office will receive $835,830 to test 1,075 kits.

Each month over the next two years, 300 kits are expected to be sent out for testing.

According to Scott Berkowitz, the president of the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network, the issue isn’t a lack of funding, but rather that not enough of the funds are being put toward casework-and ensuring that labs have the capacity to test rape kits.

He spoke with great empathy for women, some in attendance, who had been victims of sexual assault and seen evidence sit untested for years.

Actress Mariska Hargitay, who has long played Sergeant Olivia Benson on NBC’s “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”, tweeted that she was “honored” to join the district attorney, vice president and attorney general at the announcement. It’s historic for police departments, who want to engage survivors with care, expertise and compassion.

A sexual assault forensic exam is exhaustive – it may take 4-6 hours to complete and – a survivor can elect to stop, pause, or skip a step of the exam at any time.