The state of North Carolina backlogged over 15,000 sexual assault kits, resulting in decades-old cases left unresolved. The state launched a $10 million solution hoping to eliminate this backlog.
Attorney General Josh Stein plans to set legislation into motion called the Survivor Act, which will require the state crime lab no more than 45 days to test new rape kits and previously untested ones, according to The News & Observer.
Each rape kit contains forensic evidence and medical information that could resolve cases, if tested. According to Stein, a primary reason why these kits have not been tested since they have been found is because each one costs approximately $700 to test. The N.C. government would need a substantial amount of funds to test the old kits in order to eliminate the backlog.
The legislation is funded by $4 million already available in grants and asks for another $6 million, which will primarily be used to test the kits that have the most potential in solving open cases, according to The News & Observer. Stein also asked the state legislators to mandate the use of a statewide tracking system that will make sure incoming rape kits do not suffer the same fate as the neglected ones.
Although these victims are at the mercy of the state to solve their unclosed cases, Brace Boone III, director of the Women’s Center, and Marc Grimmett, co-director and founder of Community Counseling, Education, and Research Center (CCERC), discussed how the community offers support for people who have been sexually assaulted.
The Women’s Center is located on Cox Avenue in Raleigh, and provides a wide variety of services to women, such as primary care, food, clothing, hygiene items, etc. It partners with CCERC to provide mental health for those who experienced any type of trauma.
Boone explained that the majority of people who seek services at the Women’s Center have experienced some form of sexual assault.
“Over 90 percent of the women we serve have been sexually assaulted or raped sometime during their life,” Boone said. “We deal with a lot of brain health, a lot of mental health issues and a lot of trauma. It is a very complex knot that we are trying to unravel.”
Boone also mentioned that it is not unheard-of for states to neglect rape kits, stating that letting information fall through can have incredibly negative effects on survivors.
“The women presented here have fallen between the cracks and are not being served adequately or sufficiently,” Boone said. “Violence and traumatic experience is a major contributing factor to women becoming homeless. These experiences in their lives can have devastating consequences.”
Grimmett stated that the CCERC is beneficial because it offers services to survivors while training master’s and doctorate students in the clinical mental health counseling program at NC State. At CCERC, Grimmett said they approach every situation with caution.
“We approach our work with everyone as if they have experienced some type of trauma whether we know it or not,” Grimmett said. “That way, we might be in an appropriate fit for some women who are served by the Women’s Center, as well.”
Individuals who experience trauma like sexual assault can often be hesitant to seek help for various reasons, according to Grimmett.
“When the person who discloses does not receive a validating or affirming response, they are very unlikely to tell someone else, so the trauma is left untreated,” Grimmett said. “They are not going to receive the help they need because they do not want to be hurt again.”
Grimmett emphasized that 90 percent of sexual violence perpetrators are males, and that his personal mission is to educate men and stop rape culture. He added that the best support a victim can receive is a friend or family member who believes them and is willing to support how they may choose to proceed with their situation.
“You, their friend, or a family member or coworker might be the bridge between them and getting the help that they need,” Grimmett said.
