For Immediate Release: September 2, 2021
Contact: Olivia Hall, media@endthebacklog.org
NEW YORK — Today, the Joyful Heart Foundation, a national organization working to end the backlog of untested rape kits nationwide, celebrates the unanimous passage of SB215, mandating the inclusion of a victim portal in the state’s rape kit tracking system, one of Joyful Heart’s top priorities in California. We applaud Senator Leyva and Assemblymember Chiu for the hard work they’ve put in to get this bill to the governor’s desk, who is expected to sign it.
Tracking systems aid in increasing transparency within the rape kit handling process. Evidence shows that giving survivors access to tracking systems is an invaluable part of each survivor’s path to recovery. Thirty-three states and Washington, D.C. have either fully implemented a sexual assault kit tracking system or are in the process of doing so. Out of these, California is the only one that does not have an online portal for victims to check their case status and locations.
“Behind every kit is a person—a sexual assault survivor—waiting for justice,” says Ilse Knecht, Directory of Policy and Advocacy at the Joyful Heart Foundation. “Giving survivors access to information about their kits can help counter the loss of self-determination and control that is often at the core of a sexual assault experience. In 2016, Joyful Heart released Navigating Notification, a study on victim notification that found access to information about the status of their cases can promote healing for survivors of sexual assault, and that the lack of knowledge can be harmful to their wellbeing. We stand with all survivors throughout their journey of healing and congratulate the California legislature for signaling to all survivors that they and what happened to them matters.”
Currently, California has fulfilled five of Joyful Heart’s six pillars. This bill will increase transparency and accountability around the rape kit process and help survivors on their healing journey.
If you would like an interview or additional comment by Ilse Knecht, please feel free to contact me to set up an interview. Additionally, you can learn more about our legislative efforts in California at http://www.endthebacklog.org/California.
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The mission of the Joyful Heart Foundation is to transform society’s response to sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse, support survivors’ healing, and end this violence forever. www.joyfulheartfoundation.org