Last month, I wrote about the processing of sometimes decades-old rape kits in Detroit, and how the dangerous indifference to processing them let at least 100 serial rapists continue to victimize people without consequence.
Now, a similar finding comes out of Houston, where evidence from 6,663 previously untested rape kits has "produced 850 hits in the FBI's national DNA database" and resulted in 29 people being charged so far.
Of those charged, six are alleged to have committed other rapes while their DNA went untested, the Houston Chronicle reports. "It did happen unfortunately," District Attorney Devon Anderson said. "We are eagerly looking forward to prosecuting those rapists, those repeat rapists.""It did happen unfortunately." Unfortunately. That rapists who could have been identified if only the rape kits done on survivors—who did what we're told we're supposed to do; who reported and subjected themselves to invasive investigative procedures in a very dark moment—had been processed has fuck-all to do with "bad fortune" and everything to do with bad choices.
The bad choices of politicians who don't support proper funding; the bad choices of law enforcement departments who don't urgently request the necessary funding; the bad choices of a criminal justice system that doesn't prioritize victims; the bad choices of the entire rape culture and everyone who upholds it; the bad choices of rapists.
[H/T to my friend Jordan.]
Shakesville is run as a safe space. First-time commenters: Please read Shakesville's Commenting Policy and Feminism 101 Section before commenting. We also do lots of in-thread moderation, so we ask that everyone read the entirety of any thread before commenting, to ensure compliance with any in-thread moderation. Thank you.
blog comments powered by Disqus