Editorial Response

I read the editorial article, "A DNA Backlog." This article talks about how there is a significant backlog of rape kits. A law called the Debbie Smith law was passed a few years ago to try and rid of the backlog of rape kits. Debbie Smith was a rape victim whose rape kit was untouched for over six years. There is a 10 year statute of limitations for rape. Assailants are not being prosecuted because by the time most rape kits are tested and the rapists are found, it has already been more than 10 years. Another issue that is a result of the backlog is that it is taking a long time for DNA to be entered into the database. This is a problem because without it, future attacks are not being prevented, and the older cases that may be linked to new DNA are not being solved. The article talks about how this issue needs to be addressed when the new House and Senate take office. I agree with this completely. This is a major issue that has gone unnoticed for a long time, and it is only getting worse. Rape is not being treated as seriously as other violent crimes, and it should be. These women are not only the victims of their rapist, but are victims of law enforcement. It needs to be required for states to spend a certain percentage of their money to decrease this backlog. A report needs to be sent out about the size of the backlog now, and more reports should be sent out in the future showing how much money has been spent on DNA testing. This should gradually decrease the current backlogs in each state.