Investigation Reveals Startling Scope of U.S. Rape Kit Backlog

More than 70,000 sexual assault evidence kits are languishing untested in police departments nationwide, according to a USA Today Media Network investigation. And that number is only a fraction of the whole, say the investigators, who acquired information from 1,000 of the nation’s 18,000 law enforcement agencies. Reporters found widespread inconsistency in how police handle the kits, despite more than $1 billion in federal funding to fix the problem. We discuss national and local efforts to eliminate the rape kit backlog.

• More: Read the USA Today Investigation