OKLAHOMA CITY — Investigators don’t know exactly how many rape kits haven’t been processed because there isn’t a system in place to track them.
Governor Mary Fallin’s office says it is estimated that only a quarter of rape kits are tested, leaving thousands of untested kits in police department warehouses across the state.
On Monday, Governor Fallin announced the formation of the Oklahoma Task Force on Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence to address the backlog.
It’s an issue Sen. Kay Floyd has been working to address this session.
“Frankly, we don’t know what the numbers are and that’s the point of doing a study,” said Floyd, D-Oklahoma City.
Task Force appointed by the governor are:
- Lesley March, the chief of the attorney general's victim services unit, or her designee
- Danielle Tudor, a survivor of sexual assault with experience with sexual assault forensic evidence kit collection
- Kathy Bell, a sexual assault nurse examiner
- Andrea Swiech, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation director of forensic science services, a person designated by the director of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation who has expertise in the analysis of sexual assault forensic evidence kits
- Jan Peery, chief executive officer of YWCA of Oklahoma City, a person with experience seeking and applying for grants and other private funding
- Phil Cotton, the executive director of the Oklahoma Sheriff and Peace Officers Association, or his designee
- Bill Citty, chief of the Oklahoma City Police Department, or his designee
- Chuck Jordan, chief of the Tulsa Police Department, or his designee
- Ray McNair, executive director of the Oklahoma Association of Chiefs of Police, or his designee
- Bob Ravitz, an attorney from a public defender's office with criminal defense experience
- Karla Doctor, senior director of sexual violence prevention response, a sexual assault victims' advocate from a community-based organization
- Trent Baggett, executive coordinator of the Oklahoma District Attorneys Council, or his designee;
- Dawn Stover, executive director of the Native Alliance Against Violence, or her designee;
- Two nonvoting members from among the members of the Senate, of which may not be from the same political party; and
- Two nonvoting members from among the members of the House of Representatives, of which may not be from the same