“Imagine being brutally attacked, then going through the pain of providing a rape kit for investigators, only to have it sit untouched, collecting dust on a shelf, for more than two decades. During that time, the rapist remains free – not only allowed to go about his business but free to brutalize and rape others because investigators aren’t looking for him. They can’t be looking for him because they’ve never tested the rape kit that contains his DNA.”
The U.S. Justice Department estimates that there are at least 400,000 untested rape kits in the United States.
Yes, 400,000.
The rape kit backlogs betray survivors
SCP understands that each and every one of the country's 400,000 untested rape kits represents an innocent victim who agreed to an invasive exam because she or he wanted justice. By failing to process the crucial evidence contained in rape kits, the justice system has utterly failed thousands of survivors and denied them justice.
The rape kit backlogs protect rapists
SCP recognizes that the nation's 400,000 untested rape kits also represent hundreds of thousands of sexual predators who have evaded justice and continue to pose a threat to reoffend.
Hundreds and hundreds of serial offenders are being uncovered as cities and states have begun to clear their backlogs. When Detroit, for example, began clearing its backlog, law enforcement discovered 100 serial rapists within the first 1600 kits. Furthermore, 10 of the 100 serial rapists were already logged in the system as convicted rapists.
The truth is tragically clear: had the rape kits been processed at the time the crimes were reported, many perpetrators would have been caught before they could victimize more innocent people.
The Rape kit backlogs endanger children
Some may ask: "Why is an organization that is dedicated to protecting children from sexual predators weighing in on backlogs comprised of primarily adult victim's rape kits?"
The answer is both simple and complex: research shows that not all offenders who sexually abuse children are pedophiles who only target children.
As the U.S. Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking explains, some sexual predators are opportunistic offenders. For example, an offender who is known to rape adult women may also attempt to assault a child if he recognizes an opportunity to do so. In other words, some offenders pick their victims based on proximity, ease of access, and vulnerability.
Because this offender type is far from uncommon, discovering and convicting rapists in the national backlog will inevitably lead to locking up offenders who opportunistically prey on vulnerable children.
What is SCP doing about rape kit backlogs?
“Rape kit backlogs betray survivors and inadvertently protect predators. Therefore, in reality,
these backlogs thwart justice and endanger the public.”
SCP is fighting to eliminate rape kit backlogs.
SCP president, Stacie Rumenap, has worked alongside allies like Amanda Nguyen, founder and president of Rise, to advocate for a Sexual Assault Survivor's Bill of Rights, which addresses rape kit backlogs. In addition, Rumenap has introduced Nguyen at the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and continues to be Rise's voice at all ALEC Policy Summits.
In December of this year at ALEC's Nation and States Policy Summit, SCP will serve as the private sector sponsor for model legislation which calls for elimination of the rape kit backlogs. After the model legislation is passed, SCP is dedicated to advocating for the adoption of the legislation in all 50 states.
Back to SCP Policy Priorities page