On the Job 

The results we’re seeing with the Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Kit Initiative — in the laboratory, in investigations, and in courtrooms — are among the most promising I’ve witnessed in my career.
 
Less than two years after the testing of stored sexual assault kits began in earnest, more than 200 individuals have been charged. Thirty-six percent of the kits tested so far have produced CODIS hits, and Cuyahoga County — which has submitted nearly half of the 8,774 kits BCI has received for analysis — has a conviction rate of 67 percent in the cases it has prosecuted.
 
These statistics are astonishing, far more encouraging than I imagined when we first urged Ohio law enforcement agencies to clear their shelves of old rape kits and submit them to BCI for testing.
 
The problem of untested kits from long-past crimes is a national one, and many factors have contributed to it. I am pleased that, in Ohio, we are now addressing the issue statewide. And thanks to the tireless efforts of scientists, investigators, victim advocates, and prosecutors who are committed to survivors and justice, we are seeing just how valuable the work is in making our communities safer.
 
Research tells us that individuals who commit rape are often serial criminals. In a well-regarded study that identified 120 rapists, more than 63 percent admitted to committing multiple rapes, either against multiple victims or more than once against the same victim. The 76 individuals acknowledged responsibility for an average of four rapes each. Other violent crimes also are commonly committed by rapists, research has found.
 
It is imperative that we take these criminals off Ohio’s streets, and through the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative, we are working to get local law enforcement the evidence they need to help convict offenders who may have thought their crimes were long forgotten.
 
By testing these old sexual assault kits, we are ensuring that, finally, justice will be done for the victims.
 
Very respectfully yours,
 
Mike DeWine
Ohio Attorney General
 
We’re here to assist
 
The Attorney General’s Office stands ready to test kits and offer guidance on investigations and prosecutions. Contact BCI for testing and investigation questions at 855-BCI-OHIO (855-224-6446) or Special Prosecutions for consultation on prosecuting SAK cases at 614-629-8340.