In NY sexual assault victims can now track rape kits online

Legislation is already in force in New York that requires the establishment of an electronic tracking system throughout the state for sex crime evidence collection kits, commonly known as rape kits.

Governor Kathy Hochul signed the legal text codified as S7867-A/A9596-Awhich directs the Division of Criminal Justice Services to create a digital tracking system for this evidence in the custody of law enforcement.

The system will track the kits from the moment they are collected by the police until they are crime labs analyze them as evidence.

This new online information process will be of great help to victims of sexual abuse who decide not to report to the police or initiate immediate legal proceedings against their alleged aggressors, since the kits are stored by the Office of Support for Victims of Sexual Assault (OVS) for a period of 20 years, as required by New York Public Health Law.

“Sexual assault survivors deserve support, compassion and justice, and we are committed to doing everything in our power to provide them with the support they deserve,” explained the president when signing the legislation.

What is a rape kits?

As documented in detail endtheblacklog, a digital platform for the prevention and support of victims of sexual abuse, “Every 68 seconds someone is sexually assaulted in the United States and immediately after the assault a survivor may choose to undergo a forensic medical examination to collect any evidence.”

In this case, a specialist will conduct the examination for four to six hours.

If a survivor decides to report the rape to the police, the evidence in the rape kit may be a very powerful tool to bring the perpetrator to justice.

During the physical examination, document and treat injuries caused by the attack and evidence is collected.

The examiner collects biological evidence such as saliva, blood, semen, urine, skin cells and hair by taking skin samples, the survivor’s genitals, anus, and mouth, scraping under the survivor’s fingernails, and combing the survivor’s hair.

When the forensic medical examination is completed, the evidence collected is carefully packaged and labeled to avoid contamination.

In the case of New York, the OVS is responsible for storing the evidence, which has not been delivered to law enforcement, so a victim can request certain information about their kit or other Stored personal items, such as evidence of the assault.

“This legal mechanism offers relief to survivors, since they can access this information when they are ready. This will help counter the loss of control, which is often at the core of a sexual assault experience,” explained State Senator Alessandra Biaggi.

Reports of sexual assault grew in 2022

As of last October, sexual assault reports to the New York City Police Department (NYPD) had increased by 8.8%.

These types of crimes are typified by the Uniformed Forces as those in which there is an assault of a sexual nature, ranging from groping to penetration into the victim’s body, criminal acts more commonly known as rape.

A national survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that more than 18% of women reported having been raped in their lifetimebut specifically in the Big Apple, approximately 785,000 women, that is, 1.1% of the female population suffers some form of sexual assault annually.

In this sense, a crosscheck of data from various organizations highlights that young women of color experience sexual violence at a higher rate.

The data:

40% of African American women admitted to any coercive contact of a sexual nature at age 18, and nearly one-fifth of Latina adolescents (19%) reported dating sexual violence with boyfriends.

Seek Confidential Help:

• The line of Confidential Help for Victims of Sexual Assault (RAINN) 800-6564673 offers free 24/7 support for survivors of sexual violence and their loved ones.
• Connect to all the services New York State offers through OVC at https://ovs.ny.concerncenter.com/ For more information about the services this agency offers, including eligibility guidelines, visit ovs.ny.gov or call 1-800-247-8035.
• The direct line of New York District Attorney’s Sex Crimes 212-3359373 it also offers special resources to victims of these crimes.
• Learn about education and prevention resources on the New York Alliance Against Sexual Assault website: https://www.svfreenyc.org/research/