New System of Accountability Announced in Maryland Pertaining to Sexual Assault Evidence Kits
Governor Wes Moore and Attorney General Anthony Brown today announced the launch of a new online system in the state of Maryland to help survivors of sexual assault track evidence anonymously…
Governor Moore at the news conference earlier added that this new system will hold law enforcement accountable for effectively and efficiently processing evidence. The new system will address the backlog of thousands of untested sexual assault evidence kits and allow the survivors to get the support they need.
When someone is the victim of a sexual assault, the criminal justice system asks them to report the crime to police after which they are asked to go to the hospital and undergo a forensic exam called the SAFE exam. The exam is performed with the intention of preserving the evidence in a way that can be used in a court of law. That evidence can include the offender’s DNA. Attorney General Anthony Brown said at a news conference yesterday that for many victims and survivors, when kits leave hospital rooms, victims are left with nothing but questions, however thanks to a new statewide tracking system, that will now change.
The new tracking system is called Track-Kit. Unique bar codes will be added to all sexual assault evidence kits collected in Maryland. The program will be rolled out in the coming months.
For survivors, that means they can go into the tracking system 24/7/365 with the barcode number and password and track the progress of the kit–from the hospital through law enforcement to the lab for testing and back to the appropriate agency.
Angela Wharton who is a sexual assault survivor spoke at the news conference yesterday about the benefits of the new system…
You can view and listen to the press conference in its entirety at the following link:
