Gov. Phil Murphy this week signed a bill that aims to break the backlog of rape kit investigations in the state, requiring new guidelines from the state attorney general’s office and the establishment of a tracking system accessible to sexual assault victims, law enforcement officers and others.
“Survivors of sexual assault who show strength and resilience in coming forward deserve recognition and support,” said Murphy in a statement. “This well overdue bill cements into law the work our Administration has undertaken to support survivors. Through the groundwork laid by the Office of the Attorney General … survivors will have access to a dedicated tracking system to stay informed through every step of their pursuit of justice.”
The kits contain biological evidence like hair or saliva taken from a victim to help identify perpetrators. But once the evidence is stored, state and local law enforcement had failed to re-test thousands of kids for new DNA matches.
Advocates pushed for the bill as a way to help reduce the backlog of untested evidence and provide more transparency to victims.
“This law is a critical step forward in ensuring justice and support for survivors of sexual violence,” said state Sen. Renee Burgess (D-Essex), a primary sponsor of the bill. “By establishing a rape kit tracking system, we are providing survivors with the transparency they deserve and holding the system accountable for its role in securing justice.”
“When it comes to a rape or sexual assault, the gathering and preservation of physical evidence is of paramount importance to improving New Jersey’s response to sexual assault cases and helping to restore trust in our criminal justice system,” she said.
A 2019 report found law enforcement agencies had more than 2,800 untested kits in their possession that weren’t submitted for re-tests for a number of reasons, including the lack of a suspect or discounted victims who had a history of mental illness. State Attorney General Matt Platkin last year issued a directive ordering all kits submitted to law enforcement to be tested and made accessible.
“In New Jersey, we understand the impact of sexual assault victimization and have been implementing survivor-centered, trauma-informed policies in response,” said Platkin. “In March 2023, we issued a Directive that expands the amount of time we retain SAFE kits and have since required all kits submitted to law enforcement with the survivors’ consent be brought to the lab for analysis.”
