CBS News Investigation Gets Action

A CBS News report about a backlog of rape kits awaiting DNA testing in cities across the country has spurred a change of policy in at least one city. The San Antonio Police Department announced that it will now test all rape kits in stranger rape cases, CBS News reported on its web site.

A five month CBS News investigation by correspondent Armen Keteyian and producer Laura Strickler found that 20,000 rape kits remain untested - many because of the cost of DNA testing but also because some victims recant and others are unwilling to move forward with the arduous and painful process of prosecution.

These kits languish for years. “At least twelve major American cities: Anchorage, Baltimore, Birmingham, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Oakland, Phoenix, San Diego said they have no idea how many of rape kits in storage are untested,” according to the CBS report.