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11,000 rape kits tested, Wayne County working to find thousands of victims
More than 13 years since 11,000 untested rape kits were found, the Wayne County Prosecutor announced that they have all been tested. But that not every victim and suspect has been identified.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - On Wednesday, the Wayne County Prosecutor said it had tested more than 11,300 rape kits that had been discovered 13 years ago. It took more than a decade of hard work by the prosecutor's office but those kits which were found in an off-site evidence warehouse back in 2009 are now all tested.
Now it's time for a new phase. Prosecutor Kym Worthy said of the 11, 341 kits, a little less than half - around 5,000 - don't match an offender's DNA that's on file.
The sexual assaults happened between 1984 and 2009 in Detroit and survivors are now 45 to 65 years old.
"We have fully tested all of the kits and now we are looking at the kits where there was no DNA match," Worthy said. "We are basically wanting to say at the end of the day we tried to reach every single survivor in that group of kits and tried to bring them justice."
Those looking for more information can visit MyRapeKit.com. It's a safe place for women who were raped in Detroit during that time frame can get in contact with her office.
The site went up Wednesday and 240 possible survivors have contacted the office or the website.
"We are very, very hopeful that we can reach as many survivors we can and got forward only to give them services if they want services but also to get their case into the justice system if they want to go forward," Worthy said.
The outcome of the 13-year project is stagging. Since 2009, 239 people have been convicted and 4,800 sexual assault cases have been investigated and closed.
Most startling is the number of serial rapists found.
"We also have over 830 serial rapists just within this process. Just in the city of Detroit, just in these kits they have raped more than once," Worthy said.
That's not a typo. 830 serial rapists, preying in Detroit from 1984 to 2009.
Not every case has gone or will go to court, but that’s not always justice says Worthy, it’s a lot about the survivors just being heard.
"I’m just glad someone listened to me and I’m glad I had my day in court we hear that a lot," Worthy said.