California launches site to track results of rape kits after police backlogs

California on Tuesday launched an internet site that permits victims of sexual assault to trace the standing of the outcomes of their medical exams — an effort to deal with widespread complaints about wait occasions attributable to backlogged instances at native police departments.

The net portal, hosted by the California Division of Justice, permits victims to seek for outcomes of rape kits accomplished after 2018.

Sexual assault forensic exams are accomplished in hospitals and despatched to native legislation enforcement departments, that are tasked with linking DNA to perpetrators. However in California and nationwide, the proof has sat on cabinets at police and sheriff’s departments, in some instances going untested for years.

Practically 14,000 sexual assault examination kits remained untested in California as of 2020, in accordance with a report by the state lawyer basic.

Simply final month, a lawyer for a lady who accused three former San Diego State soccer gamers of gang-raping her at a celebration final yr sued the town, demanding extra data, together with DNA outcomes, from police almost a yr after her rape examination had been performed.

The brand new state web site is a results of laws authored by Sen. Connie Leyva (D-Chino), signed into legislation final yr by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

SB 215 requires the state to permit victims to verify the standing and placement of their exams “privately, securely and electronically.”

Proponents of the invoice, together with the Alameda County district lawyer’s workplace, stated the method of monitoring rape kits has been “cumbersome and never non-public,” requiring victims to contact legislation enforcement by way of telephone or in particular person.

“After they’ve already been sexually assaulted — and after they’ve bravely endured a protracted and invasive rape equipment examination — it’s essential that we allow survivors to trace the standing of their rape equipment securely at any time when they want,” Leyva stated.

California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta, who’s up for reelection subsequent week, stated in an announcement Tuesday that the brand new web site, in addition to a state-appointed coordinator of this system, will assist clear native backlogs and “guarantee well timed processing” of proof.

“My workplace is dedicated to doing the whole lot in our energy to help survivors, cut back hurt and safe justice,” Bonta stated. “That’s precisely what the brand new actions we’re saying in the present day are all about — growing entry to the knowledge to which survivors are entitled beneath the legislation and supporting our native companions of their efforts to course of sexual assault proof.”

Bonta’s workplace stated the location is safe, as customers should have a equipment quantity to entry information.

“As a safeguard in opposition to potential misuse,” the portal supplies solely the situation of the equipment and its standing within the assortment course of — not personally identifiable data of victims, Bonta stated.