The state of Alaska is getting a $1.1 million federal grant to test backlogged sexual assault evidence in possession of state troopers.
Gov. Bill Walker's office announced Tuesday the U.S. Justice Department funds will be used to process more than 1,000 sexual assault kits.
Officials say that altogether law enforcement agencies across the state are in possession of about 3,000 unprocessed kits. Amanda Price, Walker's senior crime policy advisor, says the Anchorage Police Department is among those exploring options on processing their backlogs of sexual assault kits.
Officials say the trooper kits will be transferred to the state crime lab for processing.
I've heard of justice moving slowly, but seriously WTF?
Actually I know what the fuck because I asked about this several years ago.
What I heard then was that the state simply did not have the resources to process the unusually high number of rape kits that come in seemingly every month. Because of that the chances of a woman's rapist being prosecuted in Alaska was incredibly low unless they actually killed her or there were numerous witnesses.
Some of these 3,000 unprocessed rape kits date back as far as 1984, which means that some women who were victimized have lived with the repercussions for thirty years without seeing justice done, or even seeing an attempt to locate their attacker.
And since many of these women live in villages that means that they could literally be living next door or even in the same house as their rapist knowing that they remain untouched by the law and free to prey on them again anytime they see fit.
So for any of you who wonder why so many women do not report rape in Alaska, I think you now have your answer.
Source http://ift.tt/2dwcvky
