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A shocking number of rape kits are untested—Mariska Hargitay wants to change that
Mariska Hargitay has been investigating crimes as Olivia Benson on Law & Order for almost two decades. And now she’s fighting for real-life justice to end rape-kit backlog, which is the subject of her new HBO documentary, I Am Evidence.
California lawmakers introduce bills to end rape kit backlog
As thousands of sexual assault victims wait for their rape kits to be tested, California lawmakers are taking renewed action to eliminate the backlog.
Ahead of Monday's private screening of the upcoming HBO documentary, "I Am Evidence," which exposes the rape kit backlog across the country and shares stories of sexual assault survivors, California legislators detailed their efforts to bring justice to victims.
The problem with rape kits
The original brilliance of the rape kit stemmed from the then-novel realization that the body of “a survivor of rape is a crime scene and there’s valuable evidence there,” says Ilse Knecht, policy and advocacy director for the Joyful Heart Foundation.
A wrenching dilemma
Across the country, decades’ worth of rape kits are finally being tested, but no one can agree on what to do next. A story of good intentions—and government blunders.
Rape is the only crime where the victim is treated like a suspect, investigator says
Texas Chief Investigator and Sexual Assault Investigation Trainer, Wayne Springer, says an officer’s job is to collect and send the facts, not pass judgment. “This is the only crime you'll ever see that the victim becomes the accused almost instantly,” Springer explains.
Heartbreaking PSA highlights the massive backlog of untested rape kits
A new public service announcement is shining a much-needed light on the thousands of rape kits that go untested every year in the U.S.
The Joyful Heart Foundation, which created the PSA, estimates that hundreds of thousands of rape kits are sitting untested in law enforcement facilities around the country due to the lack of resources and funding. “Shelved” lays out in 60 seconds the far-reaching impacts of this backlog.
Shelved PSA Spotlights the Rape Kit Backlog
Joyful Heart launched today a new national PSA campaign, Shelved, to raise awareness about the untested rape kit backlog and engage the public in helping us solve this problem. Through this campaign, we are seeking to activate grassroots support for our work in state capitols around the country to change the way rape kits are handled, expand survivors’ rights, and ensure every single kit is tested. Every single kit, in every state.
Wisconsin DOJ contracts with 2 more labs to test kits
The Wisconsin Department of Justice is contracting with two more private labs to analyze untested sexual assault kits.
The Joyful Heart Foundation has been pushing states to analyze untested kits in hopes of developing DNA profiles for serial offenders. Nearly 4,000 Wisconsin kits have been designated for testing. Analysis has been completed on 862 kits so far.
Memphis has largest backlog of untested rape kits in US
Memphis has the largest known number of untested rape kits in the country. It is why the City of Memphis held a news conference Wednesday morning to announce several developments regarding the city's rape kit backlog.
DNA Evidence CAN Stop Serial Rapists
It was an ordinary day in October, 2002. Julie Weil and her infant son were picking up Julie’s daughter, three-year-old Emily, from her Florida preschool at noon. As Julie buckled her daughter into her car seat, she felt a sudden blow to the head.
