sexual assault kits

North Carolina once led the nation in the backlog of untested rape kits. Legislation helped change that, with many serial rapists facing prosecution.

Some other states have laws in place or are adopting new legislation to ensure access to SANE nurses. Some community-based solutions in NC also offer promise.

A survey of hospitals across North Carolina found uneven results for staffing sexual assault nurse examiners. Some described rape victims visiting multiple hospitals until finding one with the proper personnel.

About 4,500 more sexual assault kits statewide will now be able to be tested with $3 million in new grants. This will chip away at a chunk of nearly…