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Nevada AG Ford announces completion of rape kit backlog in state

Posted at 6:34 PM, Dec 31, 2020
and last updated 2020-12-31 22:40:49-05

CARSON CITY (KTNV) — Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford announced that Nevada’s sexual assault kit testing initiative has been concluded.

This announcement was made on Thursday and the initiative is said to cover all previously backlogged sexual assault kits prior to 2016 having gone through forensic testing.

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Recently, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office Forensic Laboratory completed testing on over 1,100 kits from northern Nevada. This milestone, along with the completion of testing Southern Nevada kits from earlier this year brings the goal of testing all previously untested sexual assault kits in the state of Nevada to a close, according to Ford's office.

In 2015, Nevada’s Sexual Assault Kit Backlog Working Group was established to eliminate the decades-in-the-making backlog, develop policies and protocols relating to the response to sexual assault and more.

According to the report, more than 7,800 kits were tested. Officials say there were more than 1,080 DNA matches with 64 arrests and 121 warrants issued.

“As law enforcement, there is perhaps nothing more important than helping our vulnerable communities and providing them with the support and resources they need to move forward,” said Attorney General Aaron D. Ford. “Now, every Nevadan impacted by the state’s sexual assault kit backlog can rest easy knowing that their results are in-hand and that law enforcement stands ready to assist should they decide to pursue justice. My office has long been a champion for these survivors and we are a proud to be a part of this critical moment in our state’s history.”

Since 2015, the state of Nevada has allocated nearly $15 million towards this initiative, according to Ford's office.

More information on Nevada’s sexual assault kit backlog and resources available to survivors can be found here.