The White House responded to a USA TODAY investigation highlighting ongoing failures to test thousands of rape kits, emphasizing President Joe Biden’s commitment to protecting women from violence throughout his career. Biden has been at the forefront of efforts to address domestic violence and sexual assault, including passing the Violence Against Women Act and launching the National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative in 2015. The initiative has allocated $350 million in grants to help test backlogged kits and bring perpetrators to justice.
However, USA TODAY’s investigation found that progress in testing the backlog of sexual assault kits has been uneven, with only 100,000 kits tested and 1,500 convictions resulting from the initiative so far. Many agencies have seen few results, with nearly half of the convictions coming from just two agencies. The Justice Department acknowledged the need for improvement in addressing the backlog of rape kits to provide closure and safety to victims and improve community safety.
While White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that she was unaware of the investigation and had not yet spoken to the president about its findings, the Biden administration remains committed to addressing the issue of untested rape kits and ensuring that survivors receive justice.
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