National Victim Advocates Call On Governor Brown To Sign Important Sexual Assault Evidence Bill

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- National victim advocate groups belonging to the Rape Kit Action Project (RKAP) have joined forces with California-based advocates, including the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault, to urge Governor Brown to sign AB 1517, a bill that would provide justice for countless victims of sexual assault and safer communities to live and work. The bill (AB 1517), sponsored by State Assembly Member Nancy Skinner, establishes standards for the timely submission and analysis of sexual assault evidence kits.  With Governor Brown's signature, California will join a growing number of states taking steps to fully account for rape case evidence.

One California county has already seen results from proactive measures to ensure untested rape kits are accounted for.  In Alameda County, District Attorney O'Malley identified approximately 2,000 rape kits that had never been tested.  DNA analysis on the first batch of these kits has already proven invaluable – as of mid-August, half had been matched to a suspect in the DNA database.  These results demonstrate the importance of ensuring sexual assault evidence kits are not disregarded.

Bills similar to AB 1517 have been vetoed twice by the California Governor's office.  Another such veto will only result in a continued, and unnecessary, risk to public safety.   While victims wait for justice, their rapists, many of whom are repeat offenders, remain free to victimize men, women, and children.  With evidence sitting idle in storage rooms and warehouses, these criminals also commit other crimes, like burglary and theft.  A veto will not save money, and in fact could be quite costly.

RKAP member organizations (Natasha's Justice Project, National Center for Victims of Crime, and Rape Abuse Incest National Network) have provided support to legislators and victim advocates throughout the country as they work to address issues related to untested rape kit backlogs.  RKAP believes that the best interests of victims and public safety are served by comprehensive statewide policies to account for and provide forensic analysis on sexual assault evidence kits.  RKAP recognizes that each state has unique resource and systemic limitations that must be considered when establishing policy.  For more information see www.testallkits.org

SOURCE Rape Kit Action Project