INDIANAPOLIS — According to the Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault, 60% of women in Indiana have faced sexual violence at some point in their lives. Despite reporting such incidents, many rape kits may remain untested. Legislation at the statehouse seeks to change that.
"I just feel like to not test every single kit is an abomination because you really have to think about it's not just about that sexual assault forensic exam," Michelle Kuiper, a sexual assault survivor and advocate, said. "It's about could this perpetrator have done this before?"
Kuiper was kidnapped and assaulted in 1994 and did not see the man responsible convicted until 2012. She added that if her kit had not been tested, she never may have received justice.
"I just feel like to say we are not going to test the kit, why?" Kuuiper said. "If we had gun shell casings on the floor, we would test it."
When survivors report an incident, they undergo a forensic medical exam, which advocates say can be a traumatic experience.
Beth White, the president and CEO of the Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault, remarked, "We do not handle rape kits in a very effective and efficient manner in Indiana."
To address this issue, the Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault supports House Bill 1413, which would allocate $2.5 million to tackle the backlog of rape kits. The bill also requires the state police to provide the legislature with an annual report on the backlog status.
According to endthebacklog.org, which tracks untested rape kits across the country, Indiana currently has a backlog of 6,600 kits.
Survivors add that testing these kits could bring justice to victims and potentially prevent future injustices.
The bill has passed out of the House and is progressing through the Senate, with a committee vote expected next week.
If you have been sexually assaulted or are in an abusive situation, immediate help is available. You can always call the police or reach out to advocacy groups like RAINN, the Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault, or the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
