Rapid DNA Testing of SAKs for Rapid Results
Sexual Assault cases have been at the forefront of people’s minds for many years. The realization that thousands of kits were sitting untested on warehouse shelves was only the beginning. Progress has been made in testing those kits including kit tracking systems and legislation requiring testing within specific timeframes, yet there are still many victims waiting for the results of their kit and case. Waiting for justice.
Rapid DNA allows users to generate a DNA ID in under 2 hours. Detectives using that information can make decisions directing their investigation within a few hours of the commission of a crime. Quickly closing cases and preventing the commission of additional crimes is the name of the game.
What could happen if you combined the collective desire to bring justice to victims of sexual assault and the ability to generate useful information in under 2 hours using Rapid DNA? The importance of this connection did not go unnoticed at ANDE.
The samples found in sexual assault kits are unique because they contain a mixture of DNA from both the assailant and the victim. The first step in testing these samples is separating the two. ANDE has developed a simple pre-processing method that allows the separation of the sperm and non-sperm cells quickly and effectively. The samples can then be tested on ANDE with results in less than two and a half hours from swab to DNA ID.
Quick results can be used to inform the survivor of the presence of evidence that may corroborate their story and that can be used to identify an unknown assailant or include and exclude potential suspects. Simply having this information may help a survivor begin healing. It may also help them decide whether to move forward with prosecution.
Quick results can also be used to guide a Detective’s investigation. The DNA ID may lead to the identification of a previously unknown suspect. In many cases, the assailant is known, and DNA is only one piece of information that contributes to a strong case. Early conversations with potential witnesses can be conducted while their memory of the event is still clear. Additional evidence on the suspect’s person or in their possession may still be able to be recovered. Only good can come from having the DNA information available early in the investigation.
The adoption of Rapid DNA testing of sexual assault kits is happening. The Kentucky State Police have validated the technology and are offering Rapid DNA Sexual Assault Kit collection at specific hospitals within the state and consider law enforcement requests for rapid testing of other SAKs. One Kentucky Police Department requested their support and were able to take a case from assault to indictment in 10 weeks; including the use of DNA results to identify the unknown assailant.
Where do we go from here? Further adoption of ANDE Rapid DNA testing of SAKs by crime laboratories and law enforcement is a start. The technology has been designed in a field-forward manner so that hospital staff can perform testing of SAK samples with minimal training. It’s not outside the realm of possibility to imagine testing of samples during the examination and collection of evidence at the hospital with the information available and in the hands of law enforcement by the time the forensic medical examination of the survivor is complete. Accelerating the investigation of sexual assault cases is not only good for the survivor but also for the safety of the community at large. If the average rapist commits 12 assaults before being apprehended, what a difference it would make if they were apprehended within hours of committing an assault. Rapid DNA has the potential to make that a reality.
Written by Melissa Schwandt Ph.D.
Director of Field Science & Customer Support at ANDE