Florida is getting closer to its goal of clearing a backlog of more than 13,000 untested rape kits. The state has managed to cut the figure by half.
In 2015 a state audit revealed 13, 435 rape kits were untested. In the years since, the state of Florida along with federal agencies have put millions of dollars toward clearing the backlog. The effort began under former Attorney General Pam Bondi. Monday, current Attorney General Ashley Moody announced the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is more than halfway done. It has a goal of testing 8,600 kits by June.
So far, the state has found more than 1,400 DNA matches linked to crimes.
During the 2016 legislative session the state creating new laws requiring newly collected rape kits to be tested within 120 days. According to the Attorney General’s office, the turnaround time for new kits is around 84 days.
