Hope Shattered: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis of Survivors’ Experiences With Untested Rape Kits

Abstract

Rape survivors who submit to a medical forensic exam generally expect the resulting rape kit to be tested, but hundreds of thousands of rape kits have been left untested in police storage facilities nationwide. The current study sought to understand what the experience of having an untested rape kit was like for survivors. Using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, this study examined narratives of 15 survivors whose rape kits had been part of the rape kit backlog. Analysis suggested that survivors experience an extreme sense of betrayal and loss of faith in the criminal justice system when their kits are not tested. For these survivors, the rape kit was more than just evidence in a box; it was part of them. Implications are discussed.

Victim Notification Protocols for Untested Sexual Assault Kits: Survivors’ and Advocates’ Perspectives on Law Enforcement-Led Outreach Methods

“…However, testing previously unsubmitted SAKs can raise complex issues for sexual assault survivors. Emotionally, this is a painful reminder of the assault, and victims may be upset and angry when they learn that their kits were never tested (Bach et al, 2022). Legally, victims could be expected to cooperate with the police if forensic DNA testing produces new investigative leads.…”