SEATTLE, Wash.-The backlog of over 10,000 sexual assault kits in the state has been cleared and sent for testing.
Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced that the last of 10,134 backlogged sexual assault kits found in the office’s inventory have been tested or submitted to a private lab for testing on October 26, effectively eliminating the backlog.
“Effectively ending our sexual assault kit backlog is a historic step toward justice — but our work on behalf of survivors is not done,” Attorney General Ferguson said.
According to the AG’s Office, clearing the backlog has resulted in helping solve at least 21 sexual assault cases, with that number expected to grow after 2,100 hits in CODIS have resulted from the testing.
Survivors of crimes can track the progress of their SAK through the WSP.
Clearing the sexual assault kit backlog was a main objective of the Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Kit Initiative, which conducted an inventory with law enforcement agencies across the state.
After the inventory it was determined that more than 6,400 kits were still sitting on shelves throughout the state according to the AG’s Office, with some of the untested kits dating back to the 1980s.
The Attorney General’s Office is also working with law enforcement across the state to add additional profiles to the DNA database and is providing genetic genealogy grants to help solve cold cases, as well as grants to help law enforcement with proper evidence storage.
“We are committed to working with our partners in law enforcement to prevent any more backlogs so we have the best chance of solving these serious crimes,” said AG Ferguson.
