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DeWine: Thousands Of Neglected Rape Kits Now Tested

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine
Karen Kasler
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine

The attorney general’s office has nowtested nearly 14,000 rape kits that had gone untested, sitting in police departments for up to 20 years. 

Attorney General Mike DeWine says more than 300 law enforcement agencies had these rape kits and never tested them.

But now, through new laws and policies, those kits were collected and have been tested.

“Those victims have seen justice,” said DeWine.

DeWine says rape kits that go untested are unfair to the victims who turn over evidence to help in the investigation.

“And then you find out five years later or ten years later that no one ever tested it so it was wrong and it was a wrong that we had to correct,” DeWine said.

In December of 2014 lawmakers mandated that police departments test sexual assault examination kits within 30 days of the crime.

Copyright 2018 The Statehouse News Bureau

Andy Chow is a general assignment state government reporter who focuses on environmental, energy, agriculture, and education-related issues. He started his journalism career as an associate producer with ABC 6/FOX 28 in Columbus before becoming a producer with WBNS 10TV.