OUR IMPACT | RAPE KIT BACKLOG
At last count, Texas had the highest number of untested rape kits in the country.
While progress is being made, there is still a tremendous amount of work to be done to test the backlog and to ensure that, on a go-forward basis, sexual assault evidence kits are tested on a timely basis.
We are proud to be part of a state-wide sexual assault task force led by State Representative Victoria Neave, which seeks to provide a myriad of solutions for how to best provide justice for rape survivors: from more sensitive intake by police, to evidence collection capacities in medical facilities, to better funding and systems for testing sexual assault evidence, to better tracking of that evidence, to timely use of that evidence and to removing statute of limitations barriers that prevent ultimate prosecution of assailants.
Our advocates made good progress on these issues in the 2017 legislative session, successfully advocating for the passage of a law creating a new way to raise funds for testing the backlog and creating a tracking system that provides real-time data on the testing status of a collected rape kit for use by both victims and law enforcement.
#CLEARTHEKITS
Every day, more rape kits enter the massive backlog of untested evidence—while the clock runs out on others. The statute of limitations (in Texas, 10 years) sets a timeline for justice to be served in rape cases, and that deadline is closing on many survivors whose rape kit evidence has sat untested, collecting dust on evidence room shelves for years. Justice in rape cases may have an expiration date, but human dignity doesn’t, and it’s up to us to ensure that the backlog of rape kits is tested before the clock runs out on the ability to use this evidence in court.
In a joint effort between Deeds Not Words and Texas State Representative Victoria Neave, we launched #ClearTheKits to show survivors they matter by helping them get justice so they can regain their lives and heal.
Through our online portal, visitors can educate themselves on the Texas rape kit backlog, sign a petition to end the statute of limitations, and donate directly to a fund to clear the kits.
Since its launch in June 2018, we’ve raised over $16,000 with a social media campaign that reached over 100,000 people.
