Article Summary –
Eugene DePasquale, former Pennsylvania Auditor General, reduced the state’s backlog of untested rape kits by over 90%, from 3,217 to 339, during his tenure. He cites this achievement as evidence of his capability for the Attorney General position, emphasizing his experience with statewide investigations, victim support, and inter-agency collaboration. Running against York County’s Republican DA Dave Sunday, DePasquale initiated the effort after a 2016 Michigan report on untested kits, showcasing his proactive approach. His work led to renewed investigations and prosecutions, notably impacting 65 cases in Philadelphia.
Eugene DePasquale Cleared Pennsylvania’s Rape Kit Backlog by 90%. Now He Aims to Be PA’s Attorney General
Clearing the backlog of untested rape kits across the commonwealth by more than 90% was one of Eugene DePasquale’s crowning achievements during his tenure as Pennsylvania’s Auditor General, and he believes it’s a perfect example as to why he should be the commonwealth’s next Attorney General.
“It shows that I know how to conduct a statewide investigation,” DePasquale said in an interview.
DePasquale is running against York County’s Republican District Attorney Dave Sunday for the open attorney general’s seat. It all started in 2016 after reading reports of untested rape kits in Michigan.
“I was at an auditor’s conference in North Carolina, and a story came across about Michigan,” DePasquale recalled.
“The Detroit Free Press reported untested rape kits in Michigan. I wondered, ‘what are the chances that’s the only place?’”
The following week, DePasquale assembled a team to search the commonwealth for untested rape kits, discovering over 3,200. His office reduced this number from 3,217 to 339 in three years.
The auditor general’s office defined a backlogged rape kit as a test sitting in storage for 12 months or more.
A report issued by DePasquale’s office noted that Act 27 of 2015 required local law enforcement to report how many rape kits they had awaiting testing and how many were backlogged to the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH).
However, Act 27 failed to provide resources to the DOH to collect this information and allocate extra resources.
As in Michigan, clearing the backlog of untested kits allowed law enforcement to prosecute previously unsolved cases. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said in 2019 that 65 cases were impacted by clearing the city’s backlog, which was the largest in the state.
“When the kits started getting tested, prosecutors, mostly in the Southeast, were quoted saying this is helpful, we’re now renewing investigations and it’s leading to arrests,” DePasquale said.
—
Read More Pennsylvania News
