Finally a solution to the un-analyzed rape kit backlog problem
A few years ago, the Atlantic reported that up to 200,000 rape kits across the US remained unopened and untested. Today, media is reporting on a potential solution to the problem. The answer is: "i n c e n t i v e s".
You see, it looks like police can use rape-victims' DNA to identify them as criminals:
https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/artic...e-16918673.php
Quote:
The San Francisco police crime lab has been entering sexual assault victims’ DNA profiles in a database used to identify suspects in crimes, District Attorney Chesa Boudin said Monday, an allegation that raises legal and ethical questions regarding the privacy rights of victims.
Boudin said his office was made aware of the purported practice last week, after a woman’s DNA collected years ago as part of a rape exam was used to link her to a recent property crime.
Don't worry about any constitutional issues, they can be sorted out.
This is a developing story, and it's possible this isn't what actually happened. Knowing the police—everywhere—it's of course not improbable that this is exactly how it went down, and it would be reassuring if the systems were set up to be able to give a clear idea of how many times this has been attempted.
