Investigators clear two-thirds of Jefferson County's rape kit backlog
For Shay McKay and the rest of the Crisis Center staff, sexual assault victims are their top priority.
“We try to make it as comfortable and normal and easy and healing as possible and we are here for the survivor,” McKay said.
The facility offers a full spectrum of services for rape survivors.
That includes counseling in one room, evidence collection in another, plus a separate shower and room with a fresh change of clothes to help restore their dignity.
“We really feel like it's important to give survivors that power and control back that was just stripped from them,” S.A.N.E. Crisis Center Coordinator Kristin Rezek said.
April is Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.
The Center is working with the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative team to eliminate Jefferson County's 4,039 rape kit backlog.
“Sixty-three percent of the inventory has been submitted for testing. So, we're making really good progress on that, and we've had some great results come from it,” SAKI Analyst Jillian Defnall said.
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Those results include identifying 159 serial sex offenders in Jefferson County with about 1,500 kits still to go through.
Defnall tracks their numbers the SAKI team’s numbers and helps investigators piece together prosecutions that hundreds of victims feared would never come.
“We are also sitting here and ready to fight for you just as hard. So, if you have questions, call us. We are here and we are ready,” Defnall said.
The Crisis Center team and SAKI Unit will both be participating in this Saturday’s One Heart in the Park event.
From 11:00-2:00 at Linn Park, several law enforcement agencies will be on hand to provide resources for violent crime victims and their families.