Congress OKs bill to cut backlog of untested rape kits

[ismnotwasm]

Congress sent President Barack Obama legislation on Thursday renewing a soon-to-expire program that helps local governments cut their backlogs of unexamined DNA evidence in rape cases.

The program, which was backed by Vice President Joe Biden and Attorney General Eric Holder, provides federal grants to state and local law enforcement agencies so they can speed their analyses of untested evidence kits. Experts say many thousands of such kits are languishing in communities across the country, including some that are many years old.

The Debbie Smith Act is named after a woman who was taken from her home in Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1989 and raped. It took years for the evidence in her case to be examined and her attacker caught. She and other supporters of the program have argued that such delays add further layers of fear and torment to their experiences.

The Senate used a voice vote Thursday to give final approval to the bipartisan bill. The measure was approved by the House in April, and it now goes to Obama for his signature.

The legislation renews the program through 2019. Without congressional action, the program would have expired

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/9/19/congress-oks-billtocutbacklogofuntestedrapekits.html

Well that was nice of them.

[seabeyond]

1. this is important, that these womens experience be acknowledged, regardless of results. but,

i believe i have heard amazing? results by simply looking at the backlog.

[ismnotwasm]

2. Detroit identified 100 serial rapists from testing

"It was mind blowing to me," said Hargitay that so many rape kits have gone unprocessed. "My head exploded.. We have the means to do it and DNA equals justice."

Hargitay, best known for her role as Sergeant Olivia Benson on the television drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, has also become an advocate for real life victims of sex crimes. She founded the Joyful Heart Foundation that works to "heal, educate and empower survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse."

Nationally, an estimated 400,000 rape kits have gone unprocessed, allowing rapists to remain free and their victims to wonder if they will ever see justice.

"These rape kits in Michigan are over 25 years old," said Worthy. "Want to make sure we deal with the victims mercifully, honestly and genuinely."

Fourteen prosecutions have resulted from what is being called the "Detroit Rape Kit Project", including the case of DeShawn

http://www.wxyz.com/news/100-serial-rapists-identified-after-rape-kits-from-detroit-crime-lab-are-finally-processed

[A Little Weird]

6. Wow that's shocking!

I had heard there was a backlog but I didn't know it was so bad. I'm glad they are finally making an attempt to test them.

[ismnotwasm]

7. Took an act of congress-- literally

Lord, lord

[ismnotwasm]

3. I Think of these every time I hear how much rape has declined

Between non-reporting, ineffective prosecution and this, nobody knows WHAT is going on

[seabeyond]

5. abso fuggin' lutely. and i am glad i got educated on this crap. cant get past it with some.

kinda like you cannot challenge the myth men are more visual, or testosterone makes the man aggressive. neither factually true, but we have held onto them so long, people do not want to let it go.

rape down. well, not really. we do not know if the same. down. or up.

[yeoman6987]

4. The states are not doing their job

That is really the bottom line. How many are working on them? How many are completed daily? I mean 400 rape kits? Even one aday would complete the job over a year.