Some progress made on Washington's backlog of sexual assault kits

A new report shows that Washington state is making some progress clearing its backlog of sexual assault kits.

Data from 2019 revealed the Washington State Patrol had approximately 9,000 untested kits in its possession at the time. The the State Auditor's Office says the number is down to 6,000, according to an audit from January 2022.

The auditor's office notes the pandemic slowed down efforts to get more sexual assault kits tested. The latest report states that 74% of kits received since 2015 have been tested by the state patrol.

State Auditor Pat McCarthy has committed to another audit of the testing process in the future to determine whether the backlog has been eliminated, and if improvements can be made.

“The Washington State Patrol has taken the right steps, but eliminating the backlog of untested sexual assault kits will take more time and it is still absolutely necessary,” McCarthy said in a statement. “We encourage the Patrol to continue its work, and we will return to this important subject again in the future.”

In 2019, the state Legislature enacted a package of reforms intended to eliminate the testing kit backlog.