Phoenix police are making progress in solving the backlog of rape kits, but how many remain untested?

PHOENIX (AZ family) — The Phoenix Police Department said it is making progress on its backlog of rape kits after public outcry prompted city officials to approve Additional funding of $3.4 million outsource them to external laboratories.

At the end of July 2023, they had 835 untested kits. As of October 31, the backlog had dropped to 515 rapeseed sets. However, unlike last year, they explained that 355 of these kits had already been tested in external laboratories.

These figures also include testing of 675 new kits that have appeared over the last year.

Seven years later, the trauma of sexual assault still haunts Kate.

“I don’t know why it hit me today,” she said.

As with Kate, hundreds of survivors had their cases suspended and their lives left in limbo while they waited for their rape kits to be processed.

Sexual assault is an extremely personal and brutal crime. Unlike other crime victims, coming forward often means submitting to an invasive, emotionally charged examination.

“When you go to get a rape kit done and you often go to the hospital, you have to wait for the forensic nurse to arrive when called,” she explained.

Kate said it took eight hours to wait for a nurse and then the actual examination – her clothes were taken away. Her body was treated as evidence.

“You tell the forensic nurse exactly what happened to you, in great detail. It was something that I personally wasn’t ready for at the time and I liked being ready for it,” she said.

What came next was even more difficult.

“The first tests took over a year and a half, and subsequent rounds of tests took months. So the whole process took about two years,” she added.

Kate’s attack occurred in Tucson, but the Arizona family discovered that survivors in metro Phoenix were facing similar obstacles.

Arizona’s family is investigating Amy Cutler asked police what they would say to survivors who feel their cases are not receiving the attention and resources they deserve.

“I have the impression that when the backlog was 835 15 months ago, we understand it. We understand that this was a problem that we needed to solve,” said Sgt. Phoenix Police. Rob Scherer.

Scherer says staffing remains an issue. Eight of the 28 forensic DNA positions in their lab remain vacant. Finding the right people, he says, will take some time.

“The recruitment process takes longer than six months; the training process lasts from 24 to 30 months. We’re talking about potentially three years from the actual recruiting element to the benefit being realized in that person’s lab,” Scherer explained.

Arizona’s family shared details with Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violencewho advocates for survivors like Kate.

“I’m excited that some of the kits have been tested. Any progress is good progress, but it is not enough,” replied Jenna Panas, CEO of the nonprofit organization.

Panas says Phoenix police could do more; is the only law enforcement agency in the state that does not use Tracking kit.

The program uses a barcode to precisely track where the rape kit is located, and survivors can obtain this information in real time.

“That was one of the most frustrating things about this case,” Kate said, emphasizing that it was a problem in her case.

According to a 2023 Arizona Department of Public Safety report, 229 survivors logged into the Track Kit system 1,200 times to check the progress of their kit.

The state pays for it, so the city of Phoenix would be free.

“We have our own process. “I understand, I understand, I understand that you want to be able to see where your equipment is at all times,” Sgt. – Scherer said. “We have a process of contacting our detectives and, you know, we’re able to meet that communication element as required by law.”

Phoenix police are creating their own tracking program that provides updates to all crime victims, including information about rape kits.

Panas, however, has doubts, sharing emails with the Arizona resident’s family that show police assured the program would be available online this fall and then in January. So Arizona’s Family asked when it would finally launch.

“I don’t have a specific time frame. They just took off SPIDR technologythe department said.

Kate’s ordeal ultimately led her to pursue a PhD in public health. Her doctoral dissertation focused on the experiences of survivors of sexual violence.

She never managed to get justice. “In some ways, not through the criminal justice system, it didn’t work for me,” Kate explained.

Kate started a non-profit organization called Survivors arise to help survivors in the years after the attack. Her research helped identify this need and she is working to meet it.

Phoenix police said they outsourced another hundred kits in November and expect the backlog to be cleared in the coming months.

But getting tested is one thing; it’s another thing for the police to receive the results and act on them. Many survivors say it remains a problem.

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