Post by Logan on Jun 22, 2016 15:36:25 GMT -6
PHOENIX (AP) — Law enforcement agencies across Arizona are sifting through evidence lockers looking for every last untested sexual assault kit under new efforts driven largely by Gov. Doug Ducey.
It's part of a push across the country to cut the backlog of untested DNA evidence in sexual assault cases. The samples went untested for a variety of reasons, such as cases where the parties involved agreed that sexual contact occurred but disagreed about whether it was consensual.
But the kits are now considered a valuable tool in identifying serial offenders. Test results can be entered into a database that can lead officials to discover whether an assailant is a repeat offender.
The latest count of untested kits reveals Maricopa County alone has at least 4,000.
Read more: azdailysun.com/ap/state/arizona-law-enforcement-revising-stance-on-rape-kits/article_45062a6e-3464-5be8-a063-c7fcc5cb38b8.html
If it was important enough to collect specimens I believe that it is important enough to test the DNA. The argument about serial offenders has validity and it may also help to solve other criminal cases.
It's part of a push across the country to cut the backlog of untested DNA evidence in sexual assault cases. The samples went untested for a variety of reasons, such as cases where the parties involved agreed that sexual contact occurred but disagreed about whether it was consensual.
But the kits are now considered a valuable tool in identifying serial offenders. Test results can be entered into a database that can lead officials to discover whether an assailant is a repeat offender.
The latest count of untested kits reveals Maricopa County alone has at least 4,000.
Read more: azdailysun.com/ap/state/arizona-law-enforcement-revising-stance-on-rape-kits/article_45062a6e-3464-5be8-a063-c7fcc5cb38b8.html
If it was important enough to collect specimens I believe that it is important enough to test the DNA. The argument about serial offenders has validity and it may also help to solve other criminal cases.