$3 million grant to help Washington process backlogged sexual assault evidence

sexual-assault-test-kit

The Washington Attorney General’s Office has won a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to inventory, test, and help investigate the state’s backlog of sexual assault kits, which provide DNA evidence for investigations.

The grant will fund a team within the AG’s Office dedicated to processing the backlogged sexual assault kits and training law enforcement.  The three-year grant will end in September 2020.

A sexual assault kit is a collection of evidence gathered from a victim by a medical professional, usually a specially trained Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner.  A crime lab then tests the evidence for DNA that will help law enforcement find a perpetrator.

Generally, if a kit remains untested for more than 30 days, it becomes “backlogged.”  In 2015, the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs asked local law enforcement agencies throughout the state to estimate the number of backlogged sexual assault kits in their custody.  The informal survey identified approximately 6,000 untested kits statewide.  However, many agencies lack the resources needed to investigate those cases.  (Washington AG)

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