News

New website designed to support sex assault victims, keep tabs on kit testing
— khon2, Jun 23, 2017

Hawaii has launched a new website that offers resources and support for victims of sexual assault, including information on how to track a kit as it goes through testing for DNA evidence. The website also includes a description of Project Malama Kakou, a list of Sexual Assault Kit Initiative team members, frequently asked questions, information on survivor notification and services, and a dashboard reflecting the number of kits submitted for testing. To learn more, read the full article.

Memphis police: Untested rape kits down to 506
— Olivia Peterkin, The Commercial Appeal- Tennessee, Jun 20, 2017

In the past month, the Memphis PD has cut their untested backlogged rape kits to 506 down from its initial number of over 12,000. The testing has led to countless convictions. To learn more about the work Memphis PD is doing, read the full article.

Memphis police: Untested rape kits down to 506
— Olivia Peterkin, The Commercial Appeal- Tennessee, Jun 20, 2017

In the past month, the Memphis PD has cut their untested backlogged rape kits to 506 down from its initial number of over 12,000. The testing has led to countless convictions. To learn more about the work Memphis PD is doing, read the full article.

Virginia deserves applause for its work to eliminate a rape kit backlog
— The Washington Post Editorial Board, Jun 19, 2017

Virginia deserved applause for its work to eliminate its estimated 3,200 kits across the state that remained untested. Virginia has already tested about 1,000 of those kits with funds from the Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance’s $38 million initiative. Additional funding, provided by SAKI will allow the remainder of kits from 2014 to 2016 to be inventoried, tested, investigated, and prosecution.

Rapist who almost got away with it, going to prison
— John McNeill, WKZO Everything Kalamazoo, Jun 10, 2017

Thanks to funding provided by the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative, David Hull is going to jail for 20-30 years for assaulting a 14-year-old girl who lived near him. To learn more about the conviction and sentencing in Michigan, read the full article.

Rapist who almost got away with it, going to prison
— John McNeill, WKZO Everything Kalamazoo, Jun 10, 2017

Thanks to funding provided by the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative, David Hull is going to jail for 20-30 years for assaulting a 14-year-old girl who lived near him. To learn more about the conviction and sentencing in Michigan, read the full article.

Attorney General wants to eliminate backlog of untested rape kits
— Web Staff, WDBJ7, Jun 8, 2017

Attorney General Mark Herring announced that he is taking continued steps forward in order to eliminated the backlog of unsubmitted rape kits in Virginia. He has added 1,200 additional kits collected between 2014 and 2016 to be tested. To learn more about the SAKI project in VA, read the full article.

Attorney General wants to eliminate backlog of untested rape kits
— Web Staff, WDBJ7, Jun 8, 2017

Attorney General Mark Herring announced that he is taking continued steps forward in order to eliminated the backlog of unsubmitted rape kits in Virginia. He has added 1,200 additional kits collected between 2014 and 2016 to be tested. To learn more about the SAKI project in VA, read the full article.

Testing could begin next week on 247 Green Bay rape kits
— Doug Schneider, Green Bay Press-Gazette, Jun 2, 2017

Green Bay Police received good news when they were told they could begin sending their backlogged rape kits to the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory in Madison, WI for testing. To learn more about the backlog in Wisconsin and what the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative grant funding is doing to remediate the issue, read the full article.

Testing could begin next week on 247 Green Bay rape kits
— Doug Schneider, Green Bay Press-Gazette, Jun 2, 2017

Green Bay Police received good news when they were told they could begin sending their backlogged rape kits to the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory in Madison, WI for testing. To learn more about the backlog in Wisconsin and what the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative grant funding is doing to remediate the issue, read the full article.