CBS continued its nationwide investigation of rape kit testing by taking a closer look at the backlog in San Diego. The Police Department told CBS it has 2,065 rape kits in storage that have never been processed.
A rape kit is a package of tests administered to victims after an alleged incident to gather what is frequently vital evidence for getting a rape conviction in court.
Unlike police departments in Los Angeles and New York, San Diego does not test all rape kits. The following excerpt is an explanation from Michael Grubb, who manages the San Diego Police Department’s crime lab.
Grubb told CBS News in an email that if a prosecutor is not taking the case to court, then the kit is not tested. Grubb maintains it is unnecessary to test kits in acquaintance cases where the suspect is known.
“Many times there is no question of identity, it is only a question of consent. He says it was consensual, she says it was a rape — but there is no dispute as to whose DNA will be found. In those cases, we are not asked to examine the kit,” Grubb told CBS in an email.
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— KEEGAN KYLE