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Report: State has ‘taken the right steps,’ but large backlog of untested rape kits remains

By Theresa Robinson, KIRO 7 News

Evidence kits FILE--In this April 2, 2015, file photo, a sexual assault evidence kit is logged in the biology lab at the Houston Forensic Science Center in Houston. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has signed a bill that will aim to eliminate the backlog of thousands of untested rape kits in Texas. Abbott signed the measure in Dallas on Tuesday along with four other bills designed to help victims of sex crimes. The new law mandates law enforcement agencies conduct an audit to determine all of the untested rape kits in the state and that officials set timelines for their analysis. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan, File) (Pat Sullivan/AP)

By Theresa Robinson, KIRO 7 News

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington state’s backlog of untested rape kits has been a problem for years.

But a new audit by the Office of the Washington State Auditor shows the state has made some progress.

The office was required to review the status of the backlog this year, due to legislation that was enacted in 2019 aimed at addressing the backlog which established deadlines for testing older kits.

As of January 2022, auditors found that more than 6,000 sexual assault kits had yet to be tested by the Washington State Patrol.

WSP is responsible for testing all sexual assault kits statewide and can have tests performed at one of its crime labs or by contracting with a private lab.

It also established an online kit-tracking system in 2018 that allows survivors of sexual assault to track the progress of submitted kits.

The agency has received about 24,000 total kits since 2015 and has tested about 74% of them, according to the report. About 15,000 of those total kits are considered historical kits, as they were collected before July 2015.

Auditors also reviewed the practices of the patrol’s State Crime Laboratory and found it had implemented recommended practices.

“The Washington State Patrol has taken the right steps, but eliminating the backlog of untested sexual assault kits will take more time and it is still absolutely necessary,” said State Auditor Pat McCarthy. “We encourage the Patrol to continue its work, and we will return to this important subject again in the future.”

In response to the report, WSP Chief John R. Batiste and David Schumacher, director of the Washington Office of Financial Management, sent a joint letter to McCarthy.

“WSP agrees with the State Auditor’s Office that the testing backlog for sexual assault kits must not fade from the public consciousness,” reads the letter. “Each SAK represents a person and WSP is committed to ensuring they are not forgotten.”

WSP estimates that the remaining kits will be fully tested by December 2023.

©2022 Cox Media Group

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