With new officials coming into office over the next year, legislations are being altered and revised to assure the efficiency of the legal process and to make sure the proper procedures are take. Currently the latest legislation being put in place is to put more money aside and dedicate more state resources to untested rape kits. This is an ongoing federal issue has several states have a backlog of untested rape kits going back years. It is an ever-growing problem across state lines and now it is being tackled to be fixed. A rape kit is a set of items used by proper medical personnel to gather DNA evidence of the act of violence. Some items are used to collect DNA samples such as blood, saliva, or other bodily fluids.
In Florida alone, there are roughly over 13,000 untested rape kits, this number can actually be much higher due to a fact that several police departments all over Florida did not submit their numbers. Over last year there has been discussion to set aside about $300,000 to study the issue and speed along the process of testing as this is an ongoing matter of public safety.
The longer the state is unable to test the rape kits, the more likely the evidence collected will no longer be usable and sexual offenders will not be caught. This also is a problem for domestic abuse victims who although they know who their attacker is, legal action cannot be taken without evidence. Florida crime labs are in the process of testing through all the backlog rape kits, a process that could take years. Hopefully this is the first step in the right direction and victims will have their justice in the not-too-distant future.
When seeking justice always important to go through the proper channels to ensure that every possible correct legal action is taken. This is especially delicate when it comes to sex crimes. A criminal defense attorney Miami from Gallardo Law Firm is there to guide you through this difficult process.
