North Carolina Tackling The Backlog In Sexual Assault Kits With Help From A Federal Grant

CHARLOTTE, NC. — Lauren became a survivor of sexual assault nearly eight years ago.

“And it’s something that no one thinks can happen to them, you always hear about happening in that part of town, to that type of person, to someone who wore this, did that, behave this way, that way. But it happened to me in my own home by a complete stranger,” Lauren says.

After the assault, she waited five hours before her evidence collection kit was done because the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner or “Sane” nurse was at another hospital with another victim.

“In the months I came after my assault I remember waiting for the results of my kid to come back. I can’t imagine waiting years.”

In 2019, there were more than 16,000 untested sexual assault evidence collection kits sitting on the shelves of local law enforcement across North Carolina more than any other state in the country. Attorney General Josh Stein says through a federal grant they’ll be able to combat the backlog by training 50 “SANE” nurses across the state with the goal of every hospital having at least one.

“They are nurses that are specially trained in how to approach victims with compassion at the same time they provide expert medical care in collecting evidence to give to the criminal justice system,” says Attorney General Stein.