Idaho will now test all rape kits. It could lead to more convictions, trust of police

After three years of implementing regulations around the testing and tracking of sexual assault evidence kits, a new Idaho law went into place Monday that mandates the testing of all kits, with very rare exceptions.

The legislation was pitched by Rep. Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, who has headed past legislation on the subject, too. Prior to 2016, there was no regulation around how police tracked and submitted sexual assault evidence, better known as rape kits, to the Idaho State Police lab for testing. It left the decision of whether to test a kit largely up to the single police officer handling the case. Now the discretion has been taken away, largely to avoid bias and to create a uniform process.

“It’s so exciting to be at this place today,” Wintrow said Monday. “Because several years ago we were just setting minimum standards, and through the tracking mechanism and the review of data, we could see where we had glitches and some problems.”

A sexual assault exam is preformed by a medical professional. The exam can take several hours and includes swabbing and combing the victim’s body for any DNA evidence, such as bodily fluids or hair. Victims are often photographed for evidence, and bruises and other injuries are documented. The evidence is then used to identify a potential perpetrator with DNA and to confirm a victim’s account. The evidence also could help acquit anyone who might be wrongfully accused.

Read more: https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article232187187.html