For years, victim survivors of sexual assault in Maryland thought their kits were being processed and moving through the justice system, only to discover the opposite. Angela Wharton, a survivor who was assaulted at gunpoint in 1998, learned much later her evidence had been discarded.
“My body was a literal crime scene, but I endured it,” said Wharton. “I endured [the forensic exam] with the hope that justice would prevail and my perpetrator would be held accountable for his heinous actions.”
In 2020, a report found police departments across the state had destroyed hundreds of the rape kits in a span of two years. Now, officials are rolling out Track-Kit, a program that informs survivors about the status of their kits. At a press conference Thursday morning, Gov. Wes Moore said the new online system will provide a measure of accountability in the justice system.
“We continue our commitment to making Maryland safer by building a culture of teamwork, transparency, and trust,” he said. Scott Shellenberger, the state’s attorney for Baltimore County underscored this point.
“There were many times where I would sit in these meetings and I think: ‘Wow, there’s really going to be accountability about whether police and prosecutors are doing their jobs. That includes me,” Shellenberger said.
In the past, the county has faced numerous accusations of mishandling sexual assault complaints. However, it has also shown efforts to improve, such as announcing plans to test thousands of evidence slides preserved by Greater Baltimore Medical Center.
As of 2022 — the last year data was available — about 5,000 kits were awaiting testing according to the Attorney General’s office. Sex crimes are among the most underreported crimes, say advocates with the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. Attorney General Anthony Brown hopes Track-Kit eliminates the backlogs.
“As the program is rolled out, barcodes will be applied to all existing kits,” he said. “That includes those maintained in police storage units or in crime labs. I know, victims have been waiting far too long already, but our commitment is to get there expeditiously.”
Track-Kit allows survivors to see the progress of the kit as it moves from the hospital to law enforcement and, if needed, to the lab for testing and back to the appropriate agency. Survivors may access the status of their kit 24/7, 365 days a year. Maryland law also provides that all historic kits be entered into the tracking system by December 31, 2025.
Lisae Jordan, Executive Director and Counsel for the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA), encouraged survivors can reach out to a rape crisis center in their jurisdiction for support.
