Eliminate the Rape Kit Backlog

Every year, more than 200,000 individuals report their rape to the police. Almost all of them are asked to submit to the collection of DNA evidence from their bodies, which is then stored in a small package called a rape kit. This collection of evidence is an invasive and traumatic process that takes four to six hours to complete. But the potential benefits are enormous: testing of the DNA evidence in a rape kit can identify an unknown perpetrator, confirm the presence of a known assailant, corroborate the victim’s account of the rape and exonerate innocent suspects. Unfortunately, in the United States today there are an estimated 400,000-500,000 untested rape kits sitting in police evidence storage facilities and crime labs across the country. The saddest part is that many of these crimes have already passed their statute of limitations, which means that many of those women will never receive justice.

National studies have shown that cases in which a rape kit was collected, tested, and found to contain DNA evidence are more likely to move forward in the criminal justice system. When New York City began to test every booked rape kit the arrest rate for rape skyrocketed from 40 percent to 70 percent.

In 2004 Congress attempted to eliminate the rape kit backlog by passing the Debbie Smith Act, but more is needed. The Justice for Survivors of Sexual Assault Act of 2009 will solve the rape kit backlog by requiring law enforcement to prioritize rape kit testing and account for the number of untested rape kits in their storage facilities.

Please urge your Members of Congress to support and co-sponsor the bipartisan Justice for Survivors of Sexual Assault Act of 2009.

Human Rights Watch has made it extremely easy for you to do on their Take Action to Eliminate the Rape Kit Backlog page. They have an e-mail drafted for you, and they will automatically send it to your specific senator and federal representative if you provide them with your address. 

It will take less than 1 minute. Thanks for being an advocate!