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District Attorney angry over thousands of untested sex crime kits

District Attorney angry over thousands of untested sex crime kits
WEBVTT REPORTER: BETWEEN 1990 AND 2016, BIRMINGHAM POLICE COLLECTED MORE THAN 3000 SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS. THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY鈥橲 OFFICE HAS FOUND OUT 87% OF THOSE KITS WERE NEVER SENT TO A LAB FOR TESTING. >> IF THE SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS WERE NOT DELIVERED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF FORENSIC SCIENCES, FOR WHATEVER REASON FOR ANALYSIS, THEN THE INVESTIGATIONS WERE NEVER COMPLETED. SHERI: -- REPORTR: ARYN GEIGER-SEDGWICK HAS WORKED WITH SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIMS. NOW SHE RUNS A PROGRAM TO BATTLE A MAJOR BACKLOG OF SEX CRIME CASES IN JEFFERSON COUNTY. >> FOR SOMEBODY TO HEAR,15 YEARS -- HEAR, 15 YEARS AFTER THE FACT, TEN YEARS AFTER THE FACT, TWO DAYS AFTER THE FACT, THAT NOBODY HAS LOOKED AT THAT, IS DEVASTATING FOR SURVIVORS. REPORTER: WHAT DOES THE BIRMINGHAM POLICE DEPARTMENT THE SAY? THIS SAY THE PROBLEMS AT THE STATE LEVEL WHERE LIMITED RESOURCES AND STAFFING AT THE FORENSIC LABS IS IT -- PREVENTS THEM FROM HANDLING THE HIGHER VOLUME. BUT A STATE LAB REPRESENTATIVE CLAIMS THEY HAVE THE RESOURCES TO HANDLE EVIDENCE FROM 450 LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. AND THAT THEY NEVER TOLD BIRMINGHAM POLICE NOT TO TURN IN SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS. GOING FORWARD DISTRICT ATTORNEY MIKE ANDERTON SAYS HE WANTS HIS OFFICE TO REVIEW EVERY SEXUAL ASSAULT COMPLAINT. >> IT鈥橲 INVESTIGATED. WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT WHERE IT IS, SO IT DOESN鈥橳 GET LOST IN THE SYSTEM AND POTENTIALLY LEAVE -- SYSTEM. REPORT
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District Attorney angry over thousands of untested sex crime kits
Jefferson County's District Attorney is pushing for more oversight after 87 percent of Birmingham's sex crime kits since 1990 were never sent to the lab for testing.

Jefferson County's District Attorney is pushing for more oversight after 87 percent of Birmingham's sex crime kits since 1990 were never sent to the lab for testing.

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