Why did a backlog of sexual assault test kits exist? What is in place so that it doesn’t happen again?

Untested sexual assault kits are defined as kits that are collected and booked into evidence, but detectives and/or prosecutors do not request DNA analysis and the kits are put into storage. The untested kits may remain in a police evidence storage facility, hospital, or rape crisis center. The untested kits may also be collected and sent to crime labs for testing, but waiting in a queue, awaiting DNA analysis for months, years, and sometimes indefinitely. In June 2017, the state legislature in coordination with NC DOJ required every law enforcement agency to report to the State Crime Lab how many untested kits were in its possession. In October of 2018, Attorney General Josh Stein launched a new statewide sexual assault kit tracking system that allows survivors and actors in the criminal justice system to track these kits in real time, increasing transparency and accountability. In January of 2019, law enforcement agencies across the state renewed the efforts to test the untested kits, and in February of 2019, Attorney General Josh Stein announced the results of the State Crime Lab’s audit and authorized the tracking system to be utilized. The system ensures that survivors, law enforcement, medical providers, prosecutors, and laboratory personnel can see the status of their kit. This transparency helps ensure that survivors are not kept in the dark about their kit’s progress, prevents backlogs, and places greater accountability on criminal justice stakeholders. In April of 2024, Attorney General Stein and his team announced that the backlog of sexual assault kit tests has been ended.