Page 4 - Rape Kit Backlog News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Could be on the run possibly raping others. how frustrated are you that thousands of rape kits are still unprocessed? >> i'm very frustrated. >> reporter: she was a member of the sexual assault survivor's task force was raped at knifepoint back in 1985. she was just 13. her own rape kit set untested on a shelf for more than 20 years. by the time her attacker was identified, the statute of limitations had run out and the man was already in prison. he had been caught after raping two other women while lavinia's kit was still on the shelf. >> this is not an easy task. >> reporter: texas state rep...

Report their numbers to the state. so, the number could be much higher which means thousands of rapists could be on the run, possibly raping others. how frustrated are you that thousands of rape kits are still sitting unprocessed on the shelf? >> um, i'm -- i'm very frustrated. >> reporter: she is a member of governor abbott's sexual assault survivors' task force was raped at knifepoint back in 1985. she was just 13. her own rape kit with her attacker's dna sat untested on a shelf for more than 20 years. by the time her attacker was identified, the statute of limitations had run out. and the m...

>> well, the governor, greg abbott, is a hypocrite that he's hurting the people of texas, especially texas women. folks know that many women by six weeks don't even realize or know that they're pregnant. but also, jim, a few years ago, the texas legislature and the governor actually had a chance to fully fund getting rid of the rape kit backlog in texas, in texas counties. and they wouldn't put up the money to do that. so he talks about getting rid of rapists in texas. they wouldn't clear the rape kit backlog. it took a state rep from dallas to make it an optional fee. i think when you go rene...

Nearly five years after the Austin Police Department’s DNA crime lab was forced to shut down amid claims of incompetence and misconduct, the city of Austin has finally created a new independent Forensic Science Department – outside the control of APD, with its funding “decoupled” from the police budget. Council approved the move, long sought by justice advocates and survivors of sexual assault, at its Feb. 4 meeting. This follows from last summer’s de-policing moves by Council, through resolution and in the current fiscal year’s adopted budget; Forensics was one of the programs ...

Not surprised that it's so huge. >> this week, the house is going to vote on a reducing requiring all lawmakers and staff to complete anti-harassment training. >> mm-hmm. every job i've had, i've had to have anti-sexual harassment training. the fact that this needs to be part of a new legislation is pretty unbelievable to me, a. b, do you think that's enough? >> i think it's a start. i don't think it's enough. and i think that congress should definitely, if they're going to have a me too bill, it should be a bill that solidifies what's going on in congress, but also that supports survivors, re...