Testing of Kentucky’s more than 3,000 shelved rape kits is one step closer now that two contracts with outside labs have been finalized.
Examination of the state’s backlog of untested rape kits began in earnest more than a year ago and the legislature has since approved new bills and secured funding to address it, but so far not one of the kits containing physical evidence collected in the aftermath of alleged sexual assaults has been processed. Officials were waiting on the Finance and Administration Cabinet to okay contracts with Utah-based Sorensen Forensics.
"The moment the [contracts are] done we can ship the first group of kits and I expect that we'll be able to move pretty quickly from there," Attorney General Andy Beshear told reporters earlier this month.
The testing will be paid for through a nearly $2 million dollar grant from the New York County District Attorney’s Office. Cn|2 reports the lab is expected to receive around 600 kits this fiscal year, with assurances that the remainder will be delivered by the end of fiscal year 2017.
Officials say the true number of shelved kits could be closer to 5,000.
