There's money to test kits if they want justice for their citizens
A state audit has revealed disturbing, but sadly
unsurprising results:
More than 3,000 of those kits have never been tested in Kentucky. A state audit blamed a lack of adequate resources.
Kentucky is one of more than a dozen states and cities counting and testing rape kits, state auditor Adam Edelen said Monday.
And in North Carolina:
An audit at the Fayetteville Police Department in North Carolina determined that 333 rape kits from unsolved assault cases were destroyed to make room for evidence, authorities said Monday.
The destroyed kits were collected between 1995 and 2008, Chief Harold Medlock said.
This revelation comes on the heels of the news Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Vice President Joe Biden announced that the federal government, along with monies from New York City, would be used to cut into the over
70,000 untested rape kits around the country.
The White House will contribute $41 million toward the effort, supporting not just testing efforts but also funding auditing and training for localities on police and forensic best practices. Vance, who secured $38 million in asset forfeiture money, said he hopes tested cases will lead to convictions and, in turn, restore faith in the justice system for sexual assault victims.
Part of the problem is that rape kits aren't cheap:
Part of the reason for the backlogs is the cost of testing the kits, which can run around $800 to $1,000 each. Some cities such as Detroit have turned to private donations to raise money to clear the backlogs.
But Vance's office has established agreements with two private forensic labs to secure competitive rates, bringing the cost down for those tested with grant funds to less than $675 per kit, significantly cheaper than the nationwide average.
Another part of the problem is that women's rights are secondary when it comes to sexual assault and having money for things like rape kits tested in places like North Carolina and Kentucky usually get superseded by giving a
$43 million dollar tax break to people building a Creationist Museum. Don't ever forget, there's all kinds of money in these states—just not for the things that would help create an environment of true justice.
Go here for a comprehensive listing of the rape test kit backlog in our country.