MADISON, WI (WTAQ) – Attorney General Brad Schimel announced on Monday that the Wisconsin Department of Justice has completed testing on more than 4,000 unanalyzed sexual assault evidence kits.
This project started in 2016 and five kits submitted since June 1 remain untested.
The goal of the project was to address previously untested sexual assault kits that have accumulated over decades at police stations and hospitals throughout the state.
“It’s about bringing justice for survivors,” said Schimel. “It’s about changing the culture around responding to sexual assault.”
A number of old sexual assault cases have been able to move forward thanks to this testing in the past.
Schimel has taken heat from Democrats, including Attorney General challenger Josh Kaul, for the delay in completing this testing. Democrats have claimed that the delay in this process has left dangerous unidentified criminals on the street.
Schimel has responded by claiming that it has taken time to find private labs willing to analyze the kits.
