{"id":2275095,"date":"2024-06-21T12:36:01","date_gmt":"2024-06-21T16:36:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/maryland-introduces-tracking-system-to-address-backlog-of-untested-rape-kits\/"},"modified":"2024-06-21T12:41:42","modified_gmt":"2024-06-21T16:41:42","slug":"maryland-introduces-tracking-system-to-address-backlog-of-untested-rape-kits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/maryland-introduces-tracking-system-to-address-backlog-of-untested-rape-kits\/","title":{"rendered":"Maryland launches tracking system to tackle untested rape kit backlog"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmaryland-introduces-tracking-system-to-address-backlog-of-untested-rape-kits%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2275095&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Maryland has introduced a new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-admin-working-on-vaccine-passports-that-could-display-a-scannable-code-similar-to-an-airline-boarding-pass-report\/\" title=\"Biden Admin Working On Vaccine Passports That \u2018Could Display A Scannable Code Similar To An Airline Boarding Pass\u2019: Report\">tracking system<\/a> for sexual assault \u200bevidence kits, which now features barcodes. This\u2062 development will allow victims\u2064 to monitor \u200dthe location and testing status of their kits,\u2064 addressing previous\u200d issues with untested kits accumulating in \u200cthe state. At the announcement, victims&#8217; advocate Angela Wharton shared her personal \u2064ordeal of \u2063her untested rape kit from 1996 being\u200d mishandled,\u200b highlighting\u200d the\u200c system&#8217;s\u2063 past\u2062 failures. \u2064This new initiative, supported by \u200cGovernor Wes\u200b Moore and Attorney \u200dGeneral Anthony Brown,\u200d aims to ensure that \u200devidence is\u2064 properly managed and justice is more attainable for victims.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/maryland\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Maryland<\/a> unveiled a new tracking system for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/sexual-assault\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">sexual assault evidence<\/a> kits Thursday. <\/p>\n<p>According to state officials, now a barcode will be on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/analysis-the-pro-abortion-movements-nasty-track-record-with-assault-victims\/\" title=\"ANALYSIS: The Pro-Abortion Movement\u2019s Nasty Track Record With Assault Victims\">rape kits<\/a> so <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/crime\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"victims can see\">victims can see<\/a> exactly where the kit is located and whether it\u2019s been tested. The move addresses the high volume of kits the state was harboring that were going untested.<\/p>\n<p>Standing beside <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/wes-moore\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Gov. Wes Moore <\/a>(D-MD) and Attorney General Anthony Brown at the bill signing, Angela Wharton, who was raped at gunpoint in 1996 in Baltimore, <a href=\"https:\/\/foxbaltimore.com\/news\/local\/maryland-sexual-assault-evidence-kits-accountability-law-enforcement-system-attorney-general-governor-creation-launch-advocates-lawmakers-others-testing-agencies-retention-secure-justice-program-report-annual\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">commended the lawmakers<\/a>\u2018 efforts to track the kits and recounted her own experience with an untracked rape kit.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe very evidence that could have brought my assailant to justice had been callously discarded,\u201d Wharton said. \u201cAt that moment, I was devastated, revictimized, and began to spiral into a deep depression.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The new barcodes will make sure the kits aren\u2019t being forgotten and that the process of collecting information from them is transparent.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis kit is a promise of justice. However, for too many victims and survivors in too many communities, not only here in Maryland, but across the country, when kids left hospital rooms, victims were left with nothing but questions. Where\u2019s my evidence kit? When does justice come?\u201d Brown said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen people feel there is accountability, we have a better chance of getting evidence and a better chance of closing cases and a better chance of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/breyer-retire-campaign-emerges-to-drive-82-year-old-liberal-off-supreme-court\/\" title=\"\u2018Breyer Retire\u2019: Campaign Emerges To Drive 82-Year-Old Liberal Off Supreme Court\">serving justice<\/a>,\u201d Moore said.<\/p>\n<p>Brown explained that when a victim of sexual assault completes the SAFE exam, the person will be given a barcode number with a password. From there, survivors can track where the kit is in the system to see its progress\u00a0\u201cfrom the hospital to law enforcement to the lab for testing them, back to the appropriate agency.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong>CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The new program will also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wbaltv.com\/article\/maryland-accountability-transparency-testing-rape-kits\/61191679#\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">address the backlog<\/a> of nearly 5,000 untested rape kits. The state expects the backlog to be taken care of by December 2025.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTransparency and accountability are now within reach, offering a glimmer of hope to those of us who have long been denied a voice and a chance to see justice,\u201d Wharton said.<\/p>\n<p> <script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1669325\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1669325\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Maryland introduced a new barcode tracking system for sexual assault evidence kits, allowing victims to monitor their kit&#8217;s location and testing status. This initiative aims to tackle the backlog of untested kits in the state<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2910,"featured_media":2275096,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/maryland-rape-kits.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2275095","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/maryland-rape-kits.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2275095","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2910"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2275095"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2275095\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2275096"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2275095"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2275095"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2275095"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}