Justice Denied: A Call to Action for Forensic Nurses

Abstract

Sexual violence is a major public health problem that negatively affects millions of Americans. Persons who have experienced sexual violence may choose to undergo a medical forensic examination and complete a sexual assault kit to collect and preserve evidence. DNA evidence is an impactful tool that has the potential to confirm an assailant's identity, reveal previously unknown offenders, connect serial predators to other crime scenes, exonerate the wrongly convicted, and prevent future acts of sexual violence. However, many of these kits have become “backlogged,” meaning that evidence was not submitted by law enforcement for testing or DNA analysis was not completed by the crime laboratory, thereby denying justice and closure for victims. The purpose of this article is to illustrate the backlog of untested sexual assault kits in the United States and describe a case in which a serial offender was apprehended because of the testing of backlogged kits. In addition, this call to action aims to raise awareness regarding kit processing and promote advocacy among forensic nurses.