RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — An update to the thousands of untested Rape or Perk Kits here in Virginia.
Governor Terry McAuliffe has announced he’s forming a group to evaluate the state’s inventory.
The group will meet in September. They will include a mix of experts such as victim’s advocates, law enforcement, lawyers and forensic nurses.
Earlier this year, every law enforcement agency in Virginia was required to count the number of kits sitting in police storage, never tested for DNA.
There are 2,369 untested rape kits statewide. The Governor says group will consider what categories of evidence gathered by rape kits should be forwarded to the Department of Forensic Science for testing.
The Governor states “Legitimate questions are being raised in the legal and law enforcement communities about how the decisions to test PERK KIT evidence are made.”
Many victim’s rights advocates argue every kit should be tested for DNA because it can lead to arrests and convictions, getting rapist off the streets.
Testing the kits can be expensive, ranging from $500-$3,000 a kit.
