A new U.S. Congressional bill calls for more efficient investigation and prosecution of rape kits.
The Debbie Smith Act/DNA Sexual Assault Justice Act of 2003 asks for $250 million in grants that would assist law enforcement officials and medical personnel in the examination of rape kits for DNA.
The bill is named for Debbie Smith, a Virginia woman who was raped outside her home in 1989. Although Smith immediately went to authorities and had a rape kit collected, it took six years for the kit to be analyzed and the perpetrator to be arrested.
The bill proposal comes at a time when approximately 500,000 DNA evidence kits in the United States have not yet been processed. In addition, 3,000 DNA kits have not been processed in the Baton Rouge serial killer case.
According to www.lifetime-tv.com, “states would use the funds to devise a standardized rape kit, maintain a national database of DNA rewards and create programs to train specialized nurses to collect evidence that will always be admissible in court.”
New York Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, one of the bill’s sponsors, said in a press conference earlier this week that the lack of a standard evidence kit for the collection of DNA increases the likelihood of the evidence being thrown out in court.
Jane Wood, director of the Baton Rouge Rape Crisis Center, said the bill would be an excellent move because most rapists are often repeat offenders.
“Being able to examine these kits, it could prevent possible future victims,” Wood said.
Wood also supported the bill’s proposal to specially train medical personnel to collect DNA evidence after a rape.
“I think it’s critical to have physicians who are comfortable, able to, and want to do the examination,” Wood said. “That can make all the difference.”