Joyful Heart in the News

Ilse Knecht believes every rape kit that is collected from a potential victim should be tested for two reasons: It sends a message that law enforcement believes the victim and the victim’s story matters.

But very few states require every rape kit collected be tested. In fact, only 10 states have passed legislation to ensure the testing of each kit. Idaho is not among them.

And views — locally and nationally — vary widely on what, if anything, should be done to change that.

Knecht is director of policy and advocacy for the Joyful Heart Foundation, a national advocate for rape kit reform in America. The foundation is a national organization advocating against domestic violence and sexual assault.

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