MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis’ 12,374 untested rape kits put it in the national spotlight.
The City now said it has whittled down those numbers and continued to give monthly updates showing how much.
“Of the total inventory that we had in hand, 1,854 have completed forensic analysis including DNA analysis,” said Doug McGowen, who worked with the Sexual Assault Kit Task Force.
Yet, one bloggercalled Memphis on the carpet.
‘It’s misleading at best and dishonest,” said retired Judge Robert Doyel.
He spent 16 years presiding over cases in Florida.
He said Memphis` rape kit numbers didn’t add up.
“To claim as progress that you shipped off a large quantity almost a fourth of the total original number of rape kits that needed to be tested, to claim that as progress and make it look like over the half of the rape kits something has been done with, I think that is misleading,” said Doyel.
Specifically, he questioned the May 2015 report that said 53% of untested kits had been analyzed or they were at the lab awaiting analysis.
That`s 6,586 out of 12,374 untested kits.
“The total processed for DNA and the total negative for serology those have been totally processed. That adds up to about 34 percent or 1/3rd of the total original 12,000. That’s a far cry from 53-percent,” said Doyel.
Doug McGowen coordinated the Sexual Assault Kit Task Force that put together the monthly stats.
“Thirty-four percent have completed testing. We have the kit back and report back. Nineteen -percent of the kits are at the laboratory going through the analysis process. When you add those together, that’s 53% of the total kits we had back in October,” said McGowen.
The City counted in its 53% progress, kits that were sitting at the forensic lab but hadn’t actually been tested.
“You don’t have 2,345 back in your possession yet?” we asked McGowen.
“That is correct. We are saying that they we have shipped them to the laboratory. The lab is taking action to process them for either serology and on to DNA analysis,” said McGowen.
“Why do you not just wait until you get them back in your possession then to add them to the number. Wouldn’t that be more accurate?” we asked.
“We are committed to transparency and telling everybody each month about what our process is,” said McGowen.
Judge Doyel said it was misleading.
He also questioned how the number of kits processed for serology, which was the step before DNA testing, could remain at 1,142 every month since December.
“Every month for the last six months that number has been 1,142. That’s just a logical impossibility,” said Judge Doyel.
“We will move forward with the testing of those kits as well, but these are all that have pre-dated the testing, that has been undergoing and predated the statute of limitations,” said McGowen.
Judge Doyel said it was all a big P.R. campaign instead of really focusing on victims.
He said just be ‘clear’ on ‘how’ you were dealing with it.
“Be forth right.Tell the people in Memphis and around the country exactly what you are doing. Don’t combine numbers and try to make it appear you are doing something when you are not,” said Doyel.
Judge Doyel also blogged about other cities with rape kit backlogs, but he said Memphis had the highest numbers.
He hoped his focus on those numbers would get city officials` attention and change how they conveyed the real numbers to the public.
City of Memphis officials said they were sending kits for testing as quickly as the labs would take them and as capacity allowed.
