New report details successful elimination of sexual assault kit backlog

From the Office of the Attorney General

Almost a year after Washington state finally eliminated its backlog of untested sexual assault kits, the Attorney General’s Office has released the latest report from the Sexual Assault Forensic Examination (SAFE) Best Practices Advisory Group detailing how the backlog was addressed and making further policy recommendations to support victims and survivors.

The SAFE Advisory Group was established by the Legislature in 2015 when there was a backlog of more than 10,000 kits. At that time, Washington faced significant challenges with inventorying, tracking, and testing sexual assault kits, and lacked up-to-date information on the status of related investigations.

Over the past decade, SAFE members have helped the state make significant improvements in the handling of sexual assault investigations. The Attorney General’s Office administers the group, which includes survivors, legislators, community-based advocates, law enforcement, prosecutors, and medical providers.

The last of those kits in the backlog was tested in January 2025 by the Washington State Patrol. 

As a result of this effort, at least 22 cases have been solved, a number that is expected to grow, and thousands of DNA profiles have been uploaded to the national database to help assist with investigations.

More information here