Major Backlog on Rape Kit Testing

Prosecutors and a women's advocacy foundation in Michigan are forming a coalition to raise money to test rape kits that have been sitting on a shelf for years. The foundation is seeking public and private funding to complete the tests. The group, Enough SAID (Sexual Assault in Detroit), announced on Tuesday afternoon that they need to raise $10 million to seek answers for victims of rape.

A Detroit group is seeking funding to test rape kits that have been sitting in storage, some for almost 25 years.
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Currently there are over 2,400 untested sexual assault kits that were found when the state took over Detroit's crime lab in 2008. Not only will the money be used to test the kits, it will also be used to investigate and convict the perpetrators of the crime.

When the state police took over Detroit's crime lab, they found over 11,000 boxes of untested evidence that went back almost 25 years.

After 2,000 kits were tested Kym Worthy, Wayne County Prosecutor, has identified 188 serial rapists and convicted 15.

So far almost $750,000 has been raised to assist Enough SAID.

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