The State Department of Health has released a new batch of data showing that as of December 31st last year, there were still 245 rape kits backlogged across the commonwealth, but Auditor General Eugene Depasquale says the majority of them are not sitting at crime labs; they remain in the hands of law enforcement. Sixty percent of the state’s unprocessed rape kits have never been sent to the lab, even though state law says they have to be sent there within 15 days.
None of the unprocessed rape kits are from Indiana County. Cambria County has three, all from Cresson Township. Jefferson has one unprocessed case, from Reynoldsville Borough. Westmoreland has three, all from Rostraver Township.
The Department of Health’s data shows different numbers than the ones released last month by Depasquale because the auditor general’s figures were updated to include data from this year. Depasquale reported 339 untested rape kits, but those include both backlogged cases and ones that are within the acceptable time frame for testing. In three years, the state has reduced the backlog about 90 percent.
Pennsylvania has more than 1,100 local law enforcement agencies, and 1,060 reported their rape kit numbers last year. In Indiana County, six entities submitted data: Cherry Tree, Clymer Borough, Homer City Borough, Indiana Borough, the Indiana County District Attorney’s office, and IUP police.
