On AlterNet: rape kits

Stories, blog posts, and videos tagged as "rape kits"

Rape Evidence Often Goes Untested For a Decade or More

Caroline Framke, Women's Media Center. August 18, 2010.

After Helena Lazaro was raped, she had to wait 13 years before the DNA evidence taken from her body was tested, while her attacker went on to rape others.

The Story of the Night Hannah Was Not "Officially" Raped

Amanda Hess, Washington City Paper. April 17, 2010.

After a Howard University student was drugged and raped at a party, her attempts to get a medical forensic exam were stonewalled by the cops.

Rape Victims Charged Up to $1,200 for Rape Kits

delete , Emily Witt, The Huffington Post Investigative Fund. August 11, 2009.

Rape is not something you should budget for. Yet some rape victims, unlike victims of other crimes, have to pay for basic evidence collection.

DNA Evidence Is No Panacea for Solving Crimes: Huge Backlogs, Inept Testing and Corruption Stand in the Way

Liliana Segura, AlterNet. July 16, 2009.

Laws expanding DNA collection from people accused of crimes are passing in states across the country. But it doesn't mean that justice will be done.

Untested Rape Kits Sit in Cold Storage

Amy Goodwin, Ms. Magazine. March 27, 2009.

With huge backlogs of evidence untested, rapists who could have been caught remain free.

Memo to Media: The Palin Rape-Kit Story Has Not Been 'Debunked'

Eric Boehlert, Media Matters for America. October 9, 2008.

The central, undisputed facts of Palin's actions remain hidden in plain sight for all to see. It's time for the press to take a closer look.

Sarah Palin: The Rape Kit Controversy

Staff, Wasilla Project. October 8, 2008.

If someone's home is burglarized, the tools of investigation are not paid for by the victim. Why was rape considered different in Wasilla?

Revisiting the Wasilla Rape Kit Story

Lindsay Beyerstein, AlterNet. September 29, 2008.

News that Wasilla charged rape victims for forensic work has hit the mainstream. But the practice is more common than we think.