Nobody cares about rape. Good to know. That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.
Stunningly often, the rape kit isn’t tested at all because it’s not deemed a priority. If it is tested, this happens at such a lackadaisical pace that it may be a year or more before there are results (if expedited, results are technically possible in a week).
So while we have breakthrough DNA technologies to find culprits and exculpate innocent suspects, we aren’t using them properly — and those who work in this field believe the reason is an underlying doubt about the seriousness of some rape cases. In short, this isn’t justice; it’s indifference
The Kristoff article suggests an even more disturbing question, to me, regarding the subject of rape kit backlogs; where on the “chain” of the criminal justice system does this official indifference towards the crime of rape actually begin? Are the lab technicians indifferent, or are the labs woefully understaffed? And if the labs are understaffed, then local government officials must be held accountable for not providing the funding necessary to adequately staff police crime labs. Of course, I’ve no doubt that local officials would quickly point all of their accusing fingers at their respective state governments for not providing them (local municipalities, that is) with sufficient funding to carry out the staffing of said labs, etc., etc. Of course this all comes back to us – the voting public – doesn’t it? If we cared enough, as a society, about providing a dignified form of meaningful justice for rape victims then they would have it, because we have the power to vote out anyone at any governmental level who demonstrates the least bit of indifference toward fully and enthusiastically prosecuting this crime. The sad reality is we obviously don’t care enough. Tragically, we don’t care enough about justly punishing rape even as much as the NRA cares about protecting our right to bear assault weapons.