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SAKI awarded the Fulton County District Attorney's Office a $1-million grant in FY2018 to prosecute sexual assault cases on behalf of the thousands of previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits that have now been tested. Additionally, the grant money will go toward engaging in multidisciplinary policy development, implementation, and coordination—as well as enhancing the jurisdiction's victim services through improved communication and dedicated sexual assault victim advocates.
In FY2020, the Fulton County District Attorney's Office received $2 million in SAKI funding to continue efforts initiated by their previous SAKI award. This latest funding will be used to investigate, indict, and prosecute the remaining SAKI cases for which there are Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) hits; shift priorities of the criminal justice system to improve responses to sexual assault and to ensure the criminal justice system becomes victim centered; and implement sustainable policies and practices.
In FY2021, Fulton County received additional SAKI funding in the amount of $2.5 million to formally partner with the Atlanta Police Department and continue existing SAKI work. Fulton County will also use the new award to fund the data analyst position for the award's duration. Fulton County will work with the Atlanta Police Department to investigate, test 2,136 partially tested sexual assault kits, and ensure Violent Criminal Apprehension Program compliance and efficient database management.
In FY2024, Fulton County received $2.5 million in SAKI funding to advance ongoing investigative efforts. With this award, Fulton County will fully investigate cases with DNA profiles and CODIS hits, ensuring that incident reports substantiate criminal occurrences. Additionally, the funding will support testing of partially tested sexual assault kits and enhance collaboration with a multidisciplinary working group. This group will focus on training law enforcement on trauma-informed responses for victims, including those on college campuses, and improving the transportation process for sexual assault kits.
For more information on the specific SAKI awards for this site, see the table below.
| Year | Amount | Purpose Area |
|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | $1,000,000 | Investigation and Prosecution of Cold Case Sexual Assaults |
| FY2020 | $2,000,000 | Comprehensive Approach to Unsubmitted Sexual Assault Kits |
| FY2021 | $2,500,000 | Comprehensive Approach to Unsubmitted Sexual Assault Kits |
| FY2024 | $2,500,000 | Comprehensive Approach to Unsubmitted Sexual Assault Kits |
Alleged serial rapist arrested after new unit begins to test decades-old rape kits
— WSBTV.com News Staff, Mar 7, 2024
"A specialized unit has made the first arrest involving a new batch of thousands of rape test kits dating back decades.
Now, if the allegations are true, four victims who have lived with what happened to them since the 1980s now have a shot at justice."
‘I felt like I got let out of prison:’ Atlanta rape victim gets justice after 22 years
— Yahoo News, Jul 23, 2022
"A Fulton County prosecutor says the victim’s rape kit sat untested for years-- and there may be hundreds of other women still waiting for justice because of the same issue.
Willis says Ward’s prosecution was one of her top priorities. It was made possible thanks to the sexual assault kit initiative which was funded by grant money from the U.S. Department of Justice. The sexual assault kit initiative sent old kits to private labs for testing."
A man has been sentenced to 12 life sentences for a dozen Atlanta rapes
— Everett Catts, The Neighbor, Mar 3, 2020
A man who sexually assaulted a dozen women has been sentenced to 12 consecutive life sentences, according to the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office.
Fulton County DA's office cold case rape kit initiative leads to new indictments
— 11 Alive, Sep 30, 2019
Power of CODIS leads to indictment in a 2000 case.
Georgia House approves longer storage of rape kits
— Associated Press, WGXA, Apr 2, 2019
The Georgia Senate unanimously approved a bill that requires evidence from a sexual assault kit be preserved for 30 years after the arrest date, 7 years from the completion of the prison sentence, or 50 years if no arrest is made.
Funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative aims to create a coordinated community response that ensures just resolution to sexual assault cases. Through this program, funding is provided to support multidisciplinary community response teams engaged in the comprehensive reform of jurisdictions approaches to sexual assault cases resulting from evidence found in previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits.
