Author: Sonja Bennett-Bellamy
NC DPS Secretary Erik A. Hooks and State Crime Lab director John Byrd are leading a team of professionals charged with implementing a statewide system to track sexual assault evidence collection kits.
The working group, chaired by Secretary Hooks with Byrd serving as vice chairman, is made up of representatives from North Carolina Victim Assistance Network and the North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault, RTI International, the North Carolina Department of Justice, prosecutors and criminal defense attorneys. A key supporter of the group’s work is State Attorney General Josh Stein.
The General Assembly passed a bill establishing the working group; tasking its members with ascertaining findings and making recommendations for a strategic plan to establish the order of priority for testing kits and development of statewide protocols for testing future kits. The group is having a series of meetings to develop protocols, rules and guidelines for the sexual assault evidence collection kit tracking system.
SL 2018-70 also requires that previously untested sexual assault evidence collection kits be trackable and entered into the system.
“The work group pools the knowledge and skill sets of experts who prosecute and defend sexual assault cases and provide critical support to victims daily,” Hooks said. “Everyone at the table is focused on making certain that evidence can be consistently tracked and handled in a manner that will swiftly bring to justice those who have committed sexual offenses, and most importantly, will help lead to the healing and recovery of victims of sexual assault.”
All medical providers, law enforcement agencies, forensics labs or persons who have custody of sexual assault evidence collection kits will be required to use the tracking system and comply with the established guidelines.