DOVER, Del. – State Auditor Kathy McGuiness announced today her support for recent updates to the process for testing Sexual Assault Kits.
“Back in April, my office published a report on Delaware’s progress in clearing its backlog of untested sexual assault kits. This special report was conducted and contributed to a trend of auditor’s offices across the country helping provide data and insight on this critical issue. We found several issues that deny and delay victims justice from those who perpetrate these atrocious crimes,” said Auditor McGuiness.
The Special Report, “Delaware Erases Rape Kit Backlog,” was released April 28, 2022, and we found that there are over 463,634 victims of rape and sexual assault each year in the United States aged 12 or older. Unlike other proactive states in our region, Delaware had not yet implemented policy or legislation to test all sexual assault kits. These policies are critical for reducing backlogs and preventing them from reforming.
“I am pleased this update coincides with best practices and recommendations identified in our special report, and we are proud of the efforts from the Criminal Justice Council (CJC) and Delaware Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) Coordinator Mike Kelly’s efforts to address this critical workload,” said Auditor McGuiness. “These recent policy updates from the CJC are an important step in ensuring victims receive justice, but there is more work to be done,” said Auditor McGuiness.
The National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative provided a total of $2.1 million in federal grants in 2015 and 2018 through the Bureau of Justice Assistance to improve the criminal justice response to sexual assault crimes within our state, but these grants do not provide a lasting resolution for victims of sexual assault in Delaware.
“These federal grants were helpful in providing one-time solutions, but they have limitations that can prevent the review of more recent sexual assaults,” said Auditor McGuiness.
“Legislators must codify ‘Test All Kits’ policies to solidify these expectations for the future, and they should provide the CJC with the ongoing funding necessary to address this critical issue – or we risk developing significant backlogs again,” said McGuiness.
You can find the special report, “Delaware Erases Rape Kit Backlog” here.
Learn about the Delaware Auditor’s Office at https://auditor.delaware.gov.
Original source can be found here.
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