{"id":459,"date":"2020-11-24T13:52:06","date_gmt":"2020-11-24T18:52:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ncdoj.gov\/testthekits\/?page_id=459"},"modified":"2021-05-19T16:54:48","modified_gmt":"2021-05-19T20:54:48","slug":"faqs","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ncdoj.gov\/testthekits\/faqs\/","title":{"rendered":"Frequently Asked Questions for Victims or Survivors"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Helping a loved one\u00a0get and accept help and heal from\u00a0sexual assault can be challenging.\u00a0These are difficult conversations for victims, and complex for both the victim and their loved ones to navigate. These FAQs are resources to help you and or your loved ones. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

FAQs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/span>What is the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative?<\/h3>\n
The backlog of untested forensic evidence exams, \u201csexual assault kits\u201d (SAKs) is a national crisis. In 2015, the Bureau of Justice Assistance recognized this problem and created the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) which aims to create a coordinated community response that ensures just resolution to sexual assault cases through (1) a comprehensive and victim-centered approach, (2) jurisdictional capacity building to prevent high numbers of untested SAKs in the future, and (3) supporting the investigation and prosecution of cases for which SAKs were previously untested. \u00a0In 2018, the NC Department of Justice received $2 million from the SAKI grant program to help fund the testing of rape kits to bring justice to victims of sexual assault.<\/div>\n <\/article>
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<\/span>How many untested sexual assault kits were inventoried in North Carolina?<\/h3>\n

Over 16,000.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/article>

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<\/span>Are all 16,000 kits being tested?<\/h3>\n

As of April 2024, 11,841 kits had been tested or are in the process of being tested. From those kits, 5,075 samples had been entered in the CODIS DNA database, and CODIS had matched the samples to 2,702 hits. 2,024 of those samples had hits to offenders whose DNA is in the database because of previous convictions or arrests. Law enforcement had made 114 arrests based on these hits. The remaining 17 kits were in process for testing.<\/p>\n

North Carolina did not test the following kits: 1. those submitted anonymously (unreported to law enforcement); 2. those confirmed as unfounded; rare cases where there is clear and convincing evidence that a crime did not occur after a comprehensive case review by the law enforcement agency and complete review by the multidisciplinary team; and 3. those in which a criminal prosecution has resulted in a conviction, the convicted person does not seek DNA testing (for post-conviction DNA testing), and the convicted person\u2019s DNA profile is already in CODIS.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/article>

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<\/span>What are the different types of findings the laboratory can report after testing kits, and what do they mean?<\/h3>\n

The laboratory will be testing the kits to determine if there is DNA present, and if so, if the suspect\u2019s DNA is in the CODIS database. CODIS (Combined DNA Index System), is the national DNA computer database run by the FBI that allows for federal, state, and local forensic laboratories to exchange and compare DNA profiles electronically, thereby linking serial violent crimes to each other and to known offenders.<\/p>\n

FINDINGS*<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n