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Utah's Sexual Assault Kit Information Line Brochure

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Utah's Sexual Assault Kit Information Line Brochure Resources: Frequently Asked Utah Sexual Assault Crisis Line 1-888-421-1100 Sexual Assault Kit Questions Rape Recovery Crisis Line 801-467-7273 Information Line Who should contact the Information Utah Suicide Crisis Line Line? 801-587-3000 Reaching Out to Survivors Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault Any survivor of a sexual assault who (UCASA) completed a forensic exam and is 801-746-0404 interested in the status of their sexual National Sexual Assault Hotline assault kit. Survivors may also use the (RAINN) information line to make specific requests about the notification process. 1-800-656-4673 What can I expect? The Advocate will respond to all phone calls and emails. The Advocate may ask for case numbers, original law enforcement agencies involved, etc. INFORMATION LINE: While case numbers are helpful, it is not required to track down your kit. The Advocate will listen and answer questions (801) 893-1145 and address concerns. The Advocate will assist in creating safety and privacy EMAIL: plans. Please Note: The Advocate may need to contact the agencies involved in your case and cannot guarantee [email protected] This project was supported by Grant No. 2015-AK- confidentiality. BX-K003 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance to the Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile When can I call or email the Justice. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a Information line? component of the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of The Advocate’s Hours are Monday- Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Thursday 7:00am-5:30pm. If you contact Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Information Line after hours, please the Office for Victims of Crime, and the SMART Office. leave a message with your contact Points of view or opinions in this document are those information and safe times to call. Your of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of phone call will be returned the next Justice. business day, unless otherwise requested. Unsubmitted Sexual Assault Kits Across the nation, unsubmitted sexual assault Sexual Assault Kit kits have caused concern and question for change. Unsubmitted sexual assault kits have Part of a medical forensic examination to Information Line Goal: built up in communities because of a system gather and preserve physical evidence from wide breakdown. Since 2014, Utah has been a victim’s body after a sexual assault. The Utah is working to test all perpetrator’s DNA could be left behind proactively working to test all unsubmitted previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits and has made significant through saliva, skin cells, semen, and/or other bodily fluids found on the victim’s sexual assault kits and efforts to prevent sexual assault kits from body. wants to provide survivors accumulating in the future. Unsubmitted Sexual Assault Kit information pertaining to Salt Lake County is committed to improving their sexual assault case. our overall response to sexual assault. A sexual assault kit received by law Further efforts are being made to establish enforcement, connected to a reported sexual Those survivors who would victim-centered and trauma-informed best assault and not submitted to the crime lab like information about for testing. practices, increase multi-disciplinary their sexual assault kit can collaboration, increase training opportunities DNA Profile contact the information for all professionals working with victims of line or email the SAKI sexual assault and increase transparency Unique patterns of genes, specific to an individual. Victim Advocate. As throughout the criminal justice system. testing progresses, we Combined DNA Index System Rights as a Victim of Sexual (CODIS) want to provide survivors Assault an opportunity to receive Federal, state and local databases that (Utah Code 77-37-3 Victim Bill of Rights) information on their own contain DNA profiles from both known Victims of Sexual Offenses have the following offenders and crime scenes. terms. rights in regards to testing sexual assault kits: CODIS Hits • The right to be informed whether a DNA When a DNA profile matches another DNA profile was obtained from the testing of profile in CODIS. Sometimes a reminder of a past the rape kit evidence. assault can trigger strong emotions, Test Results • The right to be informed whether a DNA such as fear, anger, or anxiety. DNA evidence is only part of the profile developed from the rape kit Survivors who would NOT like evidence has been entered into the Utah investigation. DNA testing can also produce further contact or information in Combined DNA Index System inconclusive results, such as if the sample becomes contaminated or there was not regards to their sexual assault kit or • The right to be informed whether there is enough DNA evidence to be analyzed. case may contact the Information a match between a DNA profile developed from the rape kit evidence and a DNA Line to Opt-Out of Notifications from profile contained in the Utah Combined local law enforcement agencies. DNA Index System. .
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