Selects: How Rape Kits Work

# Stuff You Should Know - Rape Kits Episode Summary

Josh and Chuck tackle the serious topic of sexual assault evidence collection kits, exploring their history, how they work, and the devastating backlog problem that's plagued law enforcement across the country. The episode covers how Martha Marty Goddard pioneered these kits in the 1970s to help take sexual assault cases seriously, walks through what victims can expect if they choose to go through the collection process, and then dives into the troubling reality that tens of thousands of kits have sat untested in police warehouses for years. Despite congressional funding and some progress in recent years, the hosts reveal how bureaucratic failures, understaffing, and lack of follow-up have allowed countless perpetrators to remain on the streets while evidence collected by brave survivors went unprocessed.