A task force dedicated to investigating Oklahoma’s staggering backlog of untested rape kits released its findings today.
As KWTV reports, the task force discovered that the state has approximately 7,000 rape kits waiting to be tested. Furthermore, the group discovered that there is no clear plan to remedy the situation.
One of the task force’s leaders said the untested backlog of rape kits exists due to a lack of funding in Oklahoma.
“If we had the money we could submit them all for testing immediately,” said Melissa Blanton of the Attorney General’s Office.
Under the current situation, many victims of rape must live with the knowledge that their rapists will not be prosecuted anytime soon, due to evidence from those cases not being processed.
There is no mandate in Oklahoma determining how quickly a rape kit must be tested.