Missouri’s governor has signed into law a sweeping bill that addresses sexual assault crimes, including an electronic tracking system for rape kits and a telehealth network for forensic examinations of victims.
Missouri currently has a rape kit backlog of nearly 7,000. Senate Bill 569 calls for the establishment of an electronic tracking system for rape kits, including individual specimen containers. Sexual assault victims must be given access to the secure web-based portal to monitor and track the status and location of their kit. Additionally, the bill requires law enforcement agencies to retain sexual assault kits that have not been adjudicated for 30 years. Unreported kits should be retained for at least 5 years; except in the case of minors in which the retention period is 5 years after the victim reaches 18 years of age.
“My legislation puts an end to the grievous harm that has been inflicted on too many sexual assault victims and survivors in our state,” said Andrew Koenig (R-Mo.) “This is about justice and closure for survivors. Too many rapists—possibly even serial rapists—and other sexual offenders are still walking the streets today because of this failure. Today, that ends.”
The bill received overwhelming bi-partisan report in the Missouri House, passing with a vote of 150-3. The three dissenters were Republican Reps. Mike Moon, Tom Hurst and Jeff Pogue.
The legislation also sets up a bill of rights for victims of sexual assault.
Currently, due to the national shortage of sexual assault nurse examiners (SANE), many rape victims do not get the treatment—including an exam and kit—they ask for. A recent article cited in Forensic, for example, detailed the ordeal of a woman raped in Milwaukee who had to go to 5 hospitals to find a trained SANE to do a rape kit. It took 12 hours.
Missouri’s new act requires the establishment of a statewide telehealth network for forensic examinations of sexual assault victims by July 1, 2022.
“The network shall provide mentoring, training, and assistance for medical providers conducting forensic examinations, including training on obtaining informed consent by the victim to evidence collection. The network shall also provide consultation services, guidance, and technical assistance through telehealth services by a SANE or other similarly trained appropriate medical providers,” the bill explains.
Now, rather than having to travel 12 hours to find a hospital that can provide a rape kit—one that holds up to legal standards—a sexual assault victim will be able to utilize the telehealth options at their local hospital instead. This lessens the burden on an occupation already experiencing an extreme shortage, while also catering to victims who need their valued services.
Lastly, the act ensures survivors of sexual assault are granted specified rights during “any forensic examination and any interview by a law enforcement official, prosecuting attorney, or defense attorney, including the right to consult with employees or volunteers of rape crisis centers…, the right to receive notice of these rights prior to an examination or interview, the right to a prompt analysis of the forensic evidence, and other specified rights.”
“Senate Bill 569 demonstrates our state’s commitment to supporting victims of sexual assault by giving them the rights and protections they deserve,” said Koenig. “Survivors will no longer have to suffer in silence. They will finally have the resources and support needed to find closure.”