File image of a form for a sexual assault evidence collection kit.
Updated data from state officials shows that Massachusetts is making more progress as it works through the backlog of untested sexual assault kits that has garnered attention and criticism in recent years.
Out of the 6,502 sexual assault evidence collection kits (SAECKs) being considered for testing at the start of the initiative to clear the backlog at the state lab, 455 kits were tested as of October, according to new numbers from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.
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Of those 455, processing led to 43 being uploaded to CODIS, a national DNA database maintained by the FBI that is used to find suspects of crimes, including sexual assault.
In June, 258 kits had been tested, and that had resulted in just two uploads to CODIS, indicating that processing has led to more viable DNA being uncovered.
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Here's a full breakdown of October's numbers:
| SAECKs to be Considered for Testing | Testing Not Required | SAECKs Pending DA Response | SAECKs Awaiting Testing | SAECKs Tested | CODIS Uploads |
| 6502 | 2326 | 976 | 2745 | 455 | 43 |
Over 2,700 kits are still awaiting testing, and nearly 1,000 are still waiting on a response from their respective district attorney's offices. Over 2,300 have been determined to not need testing.
Resources for victims of sexual assault are available through the National Sexual Violence Resources Center and the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673, and Massachusetts provides this list of statewide and resources for sexual assault survivors.
After sweeping legislative reform, the state is working to get through its backlog of sexual assault collection kits, which have piled up over the years.
Since the state's criminal justice reform legislation, new kits that come into the lab are now turned around within 30 days, which is the fasted mandated turnaround time in the country, according to the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security. The national average is between three and four months -- Massachusetts is far from the only state with a sexual assault kit backlog.
Advocates for survivors of sexual assault say it's critical to get through the backlog, so the survivors know their cases are being taken seriously.
"To actually process the kits in a timely fashion lets the survivors know that they are a priority," Project Director of Clinical Training and Technical Assistance at the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center Sharon Imperato said. "That them going through all of that is something people respect and recognize and they deserve to have their kits processed."
