UNDATED (WSAU) The Wisconsin Department of Justice will begin clearing a long backlog of untested rape kits in the next few weeks. USA TODAY-Wisconsin reports Attorney General Brad Schimel will use $4-million in federal grants cover the testing.
There are nearly 6,000 rape kits in Wisconsin dating back to 2014 that have never been tested.
Schimel said there was a delay in using the grant money because of rules that the rape kits be surveyed and prioritized before the testing could begin. Schimel said he’s starting the testing even though some local police departments haven’t completed the paperwork.
Senator Tammy Baldwin had criticized Schimel for the slow pace of testing. In a letter to the Attorney General she wrote, “I ask that you approach this effort with a renewed sense of urgency, ensuring that limited federal resources are used to accomplish our goal of ending this backlog as swiftly as possible.”
USA TODAY reports there are more than 70,000 untested rape kits around the country. In many cases a suspect was never caught. In other cases the victim decided not to press charges, or the case proceed without DNA evidence.
Federal authorities say clearing the testing backlog will create a larger DNA data base and will make it easier to catch rape suspects involved in multiple sexual assaults.
