News

Sex offender charged with Seattle cold case rape, was serial groping suspecy
— DeeDee Sun & Casey McNerthney, KIRO 7, Sep 28, 2018

A Seattle man has been charged with child rape after his DNA was a match to a previously unsubmitted sexual assault kit from 2007. Funding from SAKI grants and legislation passed in 2015, have helped Washington state process sexual assault kits and find hits such as this one.

SAKI TTA Webinar: Beyond Conviction Rates: Measuring Success in Sexual Assault Prosecutions
— SAKI TTA, Sep 27, 2018

This webinar was presented by Jennifer Long, CEO of AEquitas and Elaine Borakove, President of the Justice Management Institute. The prosecution of sexual violence is unlike the prosecution of other crimes. While success in criminal cases is traditionally determined by whether or not a conviction is obtained, conviction rates alone fail to capture the unique challenges in sexual violence cases, the victim’s experience with the criminal justice system, and the strengths and opportunities for improvement in our practices.

GBI hopes to have rape kit backlog cleared by end of year; 1 Gainesville case remains
— Nick Watson, The Gainesville Times, Sep 26, 2018

Only 73 unsubmitted sexual assault nurse examiner kits need to be tested out of the more than 2,700 kits that were accounted for by the Georgia Bureau of Investigations in 2016.

Mobile initiative to punish sexual assault wins $2 Million in new grants
— Lawrence Specker, Sep 26, 2018

Thanks to their multiple SAKI grants from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the, Mobile Police Department has been able to work through their previously submitted sexual assault kit sand create a multi-disciplinary team consisting of investigators, prosecutors, victim advocates, and academic experts. The 2018 grant funding will be used to sustain investigative positions and add positions for victim advocates and data analysts.

TPD awarded 2018 Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Grant
— KJRH 2 Tulsa, Sep 25, 2018

Tulsa police were awarded with a $1.5 million Sexual Assault Kit Initiative grant for a three-year project.

Hidden in Prison: Nevada's Testing of Inmate DNA Solves Cases
— Seth Augenstein, Forensic Magazine, Sep 21, 2018

There have been nine hits so far after DNA from many of the most violent and dangerous criminal in Nevada have been entered into CODIS. Three homicides, four rapes, one robbery, and one auto theft have been connected to offenders already behind bars.

DNA links Cobb County man to 3 rapes dating back to 2006 , police say
— Alexis Stevens, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Sep 20, 2018

SAKI Site Success. DNA evidence has linked a career criminal to three rapes dating back to 2006.

Memphis man pleads guilty to rapes in early 2000s after backlogged rape kits are tested
— Linda A. Moore, Commercial Appeal, Sep 14, 2018

A man has pleaded guilty to the sexual assaults of three women after DNA testing links him to the crimes. Screen reader support enabled.

Duluth Hosts National Sexual Assault Reform Conference
— Alejandra Palacios, ABC Eyewitness News, Sep 11, 2018

The Duluth SAKI Site, in partnership with SAKI TTA, hosted the 2018 SAKI Assembly of Cities from September 11th-13th. This three day conference brought together jurisdictions from across the country to discuss sexual assault response reform.

AG Schimel Announces Testing Completed on Sexual Assault Kits
— Wisconsin Department of Justice, Sep 10, 2018

The Wisconsin Department of Justice has completed testing on all sexual assault kits initially inventoried and designated for testing as part of Wisconsin’s Sexual Assault Kit Initiative.