News

Springfield Police Department sends additional 50 sexual assault kits for testing through SAFE Kits Initiative
— KY3, Aug 29, 2020

As part of this initiative, SPD has been able to send 112 SAKs to BODE for testing, reducing the number of backlogged SAKs held by SPD to 119. This effort comes as a result of a project created by the Attorney General’s SAFE Kit Initiative working group, to address the backlog of 6,968 sexual assault kits inventoried in the State of Missouri.

Man sentenced to jail, probation for 2016 sex assault
— West Hawaii Today, Aug 28, 2020

A 55-year-old Mountain View resident was sentenced to 18 months in jail and five years probation in connection with a sex assault that occurred in 2016. “This case serves as an example of the value of the SAKI project. Sniffen committed his offense when the victim was unconscious and unable to describe what happened or who the perpetrator was. The SAKI project developed evidence to identify Sniffen as the perpetrator. The plea agreement was the result of victim-centered, trauma-informed, multidisciplinary team effort in a case that likely would not have been prosecuted in years past,” the press release reads.

Va. Attorney General Mark Herring: first conviction announced from working through rape kit backlog
— 13 News Now, Aug 27, 2020

First conviction in VA from testing backlogged PERKs. Attorney General Herring stated “Testing these kits and entering the DNA into the national database help law enforcement identify suspects, link crimes committed by unknown or known suspects, make our communities safer, and hold individuals who commit these heinous crimes accountable."

AG Kaul & WCASA Promote Sexual Assault Service Providers in Rural Wisconsin
— Wisconsin Department of Justice, Aug 19, 2020

“Particularly during this challenging time, connecting with survivors is so important. Too often, survivors of sexual abuse don’t know where they can access support. These billboards across the state let survivors know there are people out there who will be by their side,” said Pennie Meyers, Executive Director of WCASA.

Utah's rape kit testing backlog is gone; good news for victims, police and prosecutors
— Mark Shenefelt , Standard Examiner, Aug 18, 2020

Utah’s backlog of rape kit testing has been eliminated.

State says 97% of backlogged rape kits have now been tested
— Christine Flores, KUTV, Jul 27, 2020

SAKI project updates from Utah. Thus far, there have been 4,481 SAKs tested, and 2,594 DNA profiles to the CODIS database. Of those, 1,072 suspects have been identified — and through that process, 287 serial rapists/sex offender have been identified. This has led to 34 prosecutions in Utah.

DPS Publishes Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) Interim Report
— Megan Peters, Alaska Native News, Jul 24, 2020

Alaska DPS published their SAKI Interim Report for the public to view. The report details their progress thus far in their SAKI project.

Impact of Victim Advocacy Integration on Cold Case Investigations: Lessons Learned from the Cuyahoga County Sexual Assault Kit Task Force
— Misty Luminais, PhD | Rachel Lovell, PhD | Margaret McGuire Joanna Klingenstein | Angela Kavadas | Laura Overman, Case Western University, Jul 23, 2020

New research brief from Cuyahoga County, OH SAKI site .

Woman sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually exploiting teenage girl
— KATU Staff, KATU 2, Jul 23, 2020

Woman sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually exploiting teenage girl based on case review by Multnomah County SAKI Working Group.

Virginia eliminates backlog of 2,665 untested rape kits
— Tom Jackman, The Washington Post, Jul 8, 2020

Virginia has eliminated a backlog of 2,665 untested rape kit tests . Approximately, 851 of those rape kits resulted in DNA profiles that were entered into CODIS, the national combined DNA index system, and 354 of those profiles resulted in “hits."