Page 30 - Rape Kits News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Victims here in fayetteville whose rape kits were destroyed but around the country? >> you don't matter. what happened to you don't matter. >> reporter: christine's story barely scratches the surface. rape kits were destroyed all around the country, in many cases without ever being tested for evidence and when cases still could potentially be prosecuted. as a direct result of cnn's nationwide investigation into these rape kits, a police chief in springfield missouri issued this apology. >> the springfield police department takes full responsibility for what we now are mistakes in the handlipas...

>> reporter: cnn found hundreds of rape kits trashed long before statutes of limitations expired. this woman is one of the 333 victims in fayetteville, north carolina, whose rape kit was destroyed. she's asked to remain anonymous. >> why were they destroyed? >> we were just clearing up space in the evidence room. >> reporter: fayetteville offer to reinvestigates cases like christine's. it started with a girl's night out at a local bar in 2007. christine and some friend had been drinking and ran into guys they had seen around town. >> i regret leaving with one of them who i thought was a nice g...

Systemic problem of rape kits being destroyed. once that dna evidence is gone, it can never be used to lock up a rapist or exonerate the wrongfully convicted. cnn looked at more than 1,400 sex crime cases and investigations and discovered rape kit destruction all across the country since 2010. i spoke to a woman in fayetteville, north carolina, whose rape kit was destroyed. fayetteville's police chief said the department major a huge mistake by destroying hundreds of rape kits over a decade ago. >> i've never ever heard of other police departments going public and saying we've destroyed this...

Police trashed evidence in 400 cases before the statute of limitations expired. so nearly 80% of those kits were never tested. that 400 number is likely higher because there are an estimated 17,000 law enforcement agencies in this country, and one expert said that what we uncovered was a systemic problem. >> and of course the bottom line is this means no justice. this means that communities could be at risk of potential serial offenders or people who have already committed crimes and thought they got away with it. ashley, thank you very much for your reporting, for bringing us the latest infor...

Trying to correct the problems of the past but is it too little too late. here is one woman's story. >> reporter: police chief says the department made a huge mistake by destroying hundreds of rape kits more than a decade ago. >> i'm frustrated. i'm angry that one person may not get justice. >> i've never heard of any other police department going public and saying that we destroyed this massive amount of evidence. the answer is they are not. >> reporter: cnn found hundreds of rape kits trashed long before statutes of limitations expired and places are there's no crime limit to prosecute. repo...