rape kits
DNA From Rape Kits Used to Arrest Victims Years Later, Officials Claim
A woman was arrested on property crime charges, and her DNA was allegedly used to identify her from a rape kit exam she took years ago.
How One State Wiped Out Its Huge Backlog of Rape Kits — and Why Others Haven't
Nearly 3,000 rape kits in Virginia had never been tested, but then the state took it seriously.
DIY Rape Kits Are a Terrible Idea, Says Basically Everyone
Legal experts and advocates say evidence from an at-home rape kit wouldn't be admissible in court.
Sexual assault survivors are forced to travel hours for rape kits, and Congress wants answers
Fewer than 14 percent of emergency rooms in the U.S. have professionals trained to gather evidence.
Brooklyn Hospital Illegally Charged Women for Their Rape Exams
Investigators determined that out of the 86 rape exams the hospital had conducted between January 2015 and February 2017, 85 were improperly billed for. Some of those cases even went to collections.
Public Hospitals in NYC Have Destroyed Over 800 Rape Kits Since 2012
New York has no statute of limitations for reporting rape—but public hospitals are only required to keep rape kits for 30 days. Because of this loophole, advocates say, victims still have an unfairly small window for seeking justice.
Rapists Can Be Forced to Pay for Victims' Medical Exams, Colorado Court Rules
Though the state already sets aside funds for rape kit exams, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that convicted assailants can be charged for costs associated with the tests.
Rape Victims Who Go to the Emergency Room Forced to Pay About $1,000 in Bills
A new study that examines the medical bills incurred by privately insured women who received emergency room care for rape offers a snapshot of just how expensive sexual assault can be.
UBC Will be First University in British Columbia to Offer Rape Kits on Campus
The university had been sharply criticized for how it handled reports of sexual assault.
Congress Just Unanimously Passed the Sexual Assault Survivors' Bill of Rights
The bill, which now awaits President Obama's signature, eliminates costs associated with rape kit exams and ensures that rape kits must be preserved for 20 years or the statute of limitations.
Canada has a rape kit problem
A VICE News investigation reveals that there are no consistent rules, and no standard of training across the country, when it comes to stocking, storing, and administering rape kits. That, advocates say, is a problem.
Canada has a rape kit problem
In Squamish, British Columbia, a lack of access to rape kits hobbled sexual assault investigations.