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❓FAQ: What’s Going On With Untested Rape Kits?

Q: What is a rape kit? A rape kit (also called a sexual assault forensic evidence kit) is used to collect DNA and physical evidence from a

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Q: What is a rape kit?

A rape kit (also called a sexual assault forensic evidence kit) is used to collect DNA and physical evidence from a person who has experienced sexual assault. The process can be invasive, lasting several hours, often undertaken while the Survivor is already in shock, pain, or distress.

It’s not merely a medical procedure — it’s an act of courage, a statement of trust, and a plea for justice.


Q: How many rape kits remain untested in the U.S.?

  • In 2022, at least 25,000 untested rape kits were documented in U.S. law enforcement and crime labs, based on data from 30 states and D.C. USAFacts

  • Some research estimates that 300,000–400,000 kits may never have been submitted for testing (often called “unsubmitted” kits). ScienceDirect

  • Other sources place backlog estimates more broadly between 90,000 and 400,000 kits still waiting for testing. Missouri Independent+2Congress.gov+2

  • In Detroit, 11,341 untested kits were discovered in 2009. Wayne County+5Teen Vogue+5Wayne County+5

Because many jurisdictions don’t keep full inventories or public reporting systems, the real number could be higher.


Q: What does “untested” mean?

There are two main categories:

  • Unsubmitted kits: Collected, booked into evidence, but never sent to a lab for analysis.

  • Backlogged kits: Sent to labs but not processed due to delays, lack of resources, or prioritization problems.

Both represent a serious failure of justice. Wikipedia+3End The Backlog+3RAINN+3


Q: What is the impact on Survivors?

Having a rape kit sit untested sends a devastating message:

  • “You don’t matter.”

  • “Your pain doesn’t move us.”

  • “We won’t use your evidence to seek justice.”

This deepens the trauma, delays healing, and reinforces silence. Many Survivors blame themselves. Some never hear back at all. Others discover years later that their kit languished unused—even while their attacker continued harming others.

Survivor Truth: “I showed up. I did what they asked. But my kit was never tested. No one told me. I just stopped hoping.”
— Anonymous Survivor


Q: Why are kits left untested?

These remain some of the core reasons—though none excuse the harm:

  • Insufficient funding for crime labs

  • Bias in policing or prosecution (e.g. disbelief of Survivor)

  • Rape myths (“Since the victim knew the attacker, DNA won’t matter”)

  • Poor procedures or mishandling of evidence

  • Systemic racism, neglect, and disregard for survivors in marginalized communities

These issues disproportionately affect Black, Indigenous, poor, and disabled Survivors. Teen Vogue+4RAINN+4End The Backlog+4


Q: What happens when backlogged kits are finally tested?

When justice is allowed to move:

  • Cold cases can be solved

  • Serial offenders identified

  • Survivors may receive acknowledgment and accountability

In Detroit:

In Washington state:

  • Over 10,000 backlog kits were cleared by 2023

  • 2,100 DNA “hits” in CODIS

  • Those results are already contributing to solving sexual assault cases NCSL+1

These outcomes show how dangerous it is to leave evidence untouched—and how powerful it is when Surivors’ voices are finally supported by action.


Q: What can I do?

  • Contact your state and local legislators: demand mandatory rape kit testing timelines and Survivor notification rights.

  • Support Survivor-led reform groups and advocacy organizations.

  • Ask your local police department if they use a tracking system for kits — and if not, press them to explain why.

  • Share this information widely so others understand the crisis and join the call for accountability.


Survivor Affirmation

💬 “I am not a forgotten file. I am a person. My truth deserves to be seen, heard, and acted upon.”
— Survivor Affirmation | SurvivorAffirmations.com


🔗 Related Links


📌 Final Words:
We will not be silent. We will not be erased. Survivors are not statistics—they are our sisters, our friends, our elders, our children.

If you have been harmed, your truth is sacred. If you are ready to speak, there are those of us ready to listen, fight, and stand with you.

“The crisis of untested rape kits must not be treated as a side issue—where women labor, our issues matter, and justice delayed is justice denied.”

Even when they harm others, the system is already set up to protect adult males. They do not need the labor, resources, and energy of women to protect them further.

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