Detroit Raises Money to Test Rape Kits

Detroit is raising private funds to pay for the testing of thousands of rape kits from as far back as 25 years ago. Enough SAID (Sexual Assault in Detroit) is working with the Detroit Crime Commission and the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office to push for more public funds—but also to raise $10 million to finish testing the kits and potentially prosecute criminals. Organizers estimate it will take at least $2 million annually and five years to work through all the cases. About 8,000 kits have been shipped to private vendors for testing, and 6,141 of them have been processed as of Dec. 4. Of those, there have been 330 “hits,” or associations in the FBI’s DNA bank.