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Sexual assault: is any type of forced or coerced sexual contact or behavior that happens without consent. Sexual assault includes rape and attempted rape, child molestation, and sexual harassment or threats.

 

Victim Centered: The Victim is at the center of all decisions regarding recovery and any involvement with the criminal justice system.The victim’s choice, safety, and well being is the focus, and the needs of the victim are a concern for everyone- not just the victim advocates. (NIJ)

 

Trauma Informed: Attending to the victim’s emotional and physical safety; using resources, services, services and support to increase the victim’s capacity to recover; and educating victims, service providers, first responders, and the general community about the psychological impact of trauma on the health and well-being of the victim. (NIJ)

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Sexual Assault  is an epidemic in our country. Someone is sexually assaulted every 2 minutes in the United States. EVERY 2 MINUTES! In the ten minutes that I have been writing this 5 more people have been added to that list.

Sexual Assault is traumatic in and of itself and research has found that the investigative process of reporting and gathering evidence from victims can be just as traumatic when traditional rape kits are used. This 16 step process is invasive, and can be used to gather trace evidence like fibers and DNA as well as physical evidence like bruising, or other more personal injuries. Victims often have a rape crisis advocate present during their exam. A stranger to them up until the time of their crisis. Exams must be performed by a licensed medical professional and each piece collected tagged and dated. Once the kit is complete the victim is sent home and the kit is sent to law enforcement agencies for processing. This is where the survivors wait begins. It can last upwards of 30 years in some cases that have been backlogged before a hit occurs. For victims of sexual assault, psychological trauma like regression and PTSD are frequent occurrences and for many these effects are long lasting.

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The Backlog: 3 Parts

Part 1: Law Enforcement - This situation happens when the rape kit is submitted to law enforcement agencies and booked into evidence for processing but detectives and prosecutors do not request DNA analysis. The kits remain there indefinitely as "unprocessed" or "unsubmitted". Essentially stagnating the closure for the victim. Reasons for this vary.
Part 2: The Crime Lab - Kits that are received here are often backlogged as they await DNA processing.

Part 3: The Victim - Some victims live in rural areas and do not go to larger cities for testing. Contact information is often out of date and people are transient. 

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THE INITIAL PROBLEM: How can we use or re-purpose technologies that are currently in existence or not yet available to re-evaluate or re-design the efficiency of rape kit collection procedures? Technology focus.

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REVISED PROBLEM: How can technology be used to ease and soften the communication between sexual assault victims and investigators once the forensic evidence collection kit (rape kit) is entered into CODIS and receives a "hit" or DNA match, on their investigation?  Survivor focus.