Working to end the backlog of sexual assault kits in Montana
By: Marian Davidson
and last updated 2021-07-01 16:40:48-04
HELENA â According to state numbers, in 2020 alone, there were nearly 1,500 victims of reported sexual assault in Montana. Legislation and a federal grant are helping ensure sexual assault kits from cases like those donât build up.
When it comes to prosecuting rape and sexual assault cases, sexual assault kits are important.
âThatâs the start,â Lewis and Clark County Attorney said of the kit, which comes in a small white box, filled with forms and envelopes for evidence.
Across the country, thousands of sexual assault kits sit untested, creating a backlog. End the Backlog, a Joyful Hearts Foundation program aimed at eliminating the backlog of untested sexual assault kits tracks the number of untested kits in cities and states across the country. According to End the Backlog, Washington has 4,489 untested sexual assaul
Federal grant, legislation works to end sexual assault kit backlog in Montana
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Federal grant, legislation works to end sexual assault kit backlog in Montana
ktvq.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ktvq.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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An Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation biologist processes swabs from a sexual assault evidence kit at the OSBI Forensic Science Center in Edmond.
Photo Courtesy of Brook Arbeitman / Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation
Hundreds of rape kits await testing at the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation Forensic Science Center in Edmond.
Photo Courtesy of Brook Arbeitman / Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation
As Oklahoma works to address the problem of thousands of old untested rape kits, new laws and a lack of manpower have created a backlog of newer untested kits for much of the state.
In the last two years the time it takes for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to process kits has increased from an average of 40 days to more than 300, said division director of criminalistics Andrea Fielding.