Rape kit backlogs slow investigations, leave survivors waiting years for results
(InvestigateTV) — Across the country, rape survivors have been denied justice while critical evidence sits on the shelves of crime labs.
An article published by the National Institutes of Health suggests survivors experience an extreme sense of betrayal and the loss of faith in the criminal justice system when their rape kits go untested.
A rape kit involves an hours-long examination by a trained doctor or nurse in which evidence is collected from the survivor. The kit is later sent to a crime lab for testing.
Once processed, prosecutors consider evidence collected from a rape kit one of the most powerful tools in their case.
However, kits often accumulate at crime labs, leaving survivors to wait years before receiving results.
A 2022 report by the Congressional Research Service found estimates of the backlog range from 90 to 400,000 kits.
In an attempt to clear their backlog, the Phoenix Police Department turned to outside labs after public outcry.
Investigative reporter Amy Cutler examines rape kit testing delays and how it impacts survivors.
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