News

'Underresourced for years': Lawmakers push to speed up rape kit processing
— Lynsi Burton, Seattle Pi, Feb 27, 2019

Propelled by their SAKI grant, Washington State plans to make more investments in their sexual assault kit testing process to ensure that they are all tested properly and that victims receive justice.

House Approves Jones' Initiative Funding Rape Kit Testing
— Bob Holmes, Patch, Feb 27, 2019

The House of Representatives for Massachusetts approved $8 million for the State Police Crime Laboratory to help pay for the collection and testing of sexual assault kits to supplement their $2 million SAKI grant.

MO AG announces effort to tackle untested sexual assault kits
— James Long, KFVS 2, Feb 26, 2019

Attorney General Schmitt announced Judge Mickey Williams as the site coordinator for the Missouri SAKI site and unveiled their plans for their SAKI grant.

Suspect charged in 1997 Mobile home invasion rape case
— Lawrence Specker, Alabama.com, Feb 23, 2019

The Mobile SAKI-funded task force investigating cold-case sexual assaults in the area have made an arrest in a 1997 case based on DNA evidence from a previously unsubmitted sexaul assault kits.

Sex offender arrested in 2006 rape of Seattle 12-year-old
— Amy Clancy, KIRO 7, Feb 22, 2019

DNA from a previously unsubmitted sexual assault kit ed to an arrest in a 2006 sexual assault of a minor.

DPS holds sex crime training to provide better resources for victims
— Peter Valencia, ABC 4, Feb 21, 2019

Utah's Department of Public Safety hosted their second training for sex crime investigators. During this training, a registered nurse discussed the role that SANEs have in sexual assault investigations.

The By Your Side Campaign wins a Gold Addy Award!
— Wisconsin Department of Justice, Feb 18, 2019

The By Your Side Campaign funded by Wisconsin SAKI won a Gold Addy Award at the American Advertising Federation Madison ceremony. The By Your Side Campaign is a survivor outreach campaign for Wisconsin SAKI.

Tackling backlog of rape kits in Georgia
— WSAV 3, Feb 12, 2019

Since 2016, law enforcement agencies across Georgia have sent 3,000 previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits for testing and have received 321 CODIS matches and put 2 serial rapists behind bars.

2 women were raped on a Charlotte road in 1992. DNA leads to an arrest, police say
— Joe Marusak, The Charlotte Observer, Feb 8, 2019

DNA from two previously partially tested sexual assault kits from 1992 led to the arrest of a man in Charlotte, NC.

Suspects facing charges from rape kit backlog to appear in court
— KRQE Media, Feb 8, 2019

Two suspects are facing charges in the first case resulting from testing Bernalillo County's previously unsubmitted kits.