Reviewed by Heard & Believed · Updated 2026-07-28
New state data out of Alabama this week shows fewer untested rape kits on paper, right alongside a discovery of over a hundred kits one department never reported at all. Here is what that gap actually means if you are waiting on your own case.
Figures reflect Alabama's state kit-tracking reports and a corruption investigation reported this week, as compiled by state officials and the Joyful Heart Foundation.
This week, new state data revealed that the number of sexual assault kits Alabama law enforcement agencies reported as not submitted for forensic testing fell from 603 in 2024 to 255 in 2025. On its face, that looks like real progress under a state law requiring agencies to report kits sitting untested.
But the same week, investigators looking into an unrelated public corruption case in one Alabama city uncovered 148 untested sexual assault kits sitting in a police evidence room, a number that department had never come close to disclosing in its own official reports. That single discovery is a reminder that self-reported numbers can only tell part of the story.
Advocates who track this issue nationally have been clear that reporting requirements alone are not the same as knowing how many kits truly sit untested. Alabama is currently one of only six states that has not passed a law requiring agencies to conduct a full physical inventory of evidence, rather than simply reporting a number from memory or incomplete records.
Nationally, tens of thousands of rape kits are estimated to be sitting untested at any given time, according to organizations that have tracked this issue for years. Every one of those kits represents a person who went through an exam, often one of the hardest hours of their life, trusting that the evidence collected would be used.
If you are waiting on your own kit, or wondering whether it was ever tested at all, news like this can be genuinely distressing. It is worth saying plainly: a delayed or untested kit almost never reflects a judgment about your case, your credibility, or how seriously anyone took what happened to you.
Backlogs build up because of funding shortfalls, staffing gaps, aging lab equipment, and, as this week's story shows, sometimes incomplete recordkeeping rather than any decision about an individual survivor. That distinction matters. The system failing to move quickly is a systems problem, not a verdict on you.
You have the right to ask about the status of your own kit, and many states, though not all, now have tracking systems that let survivors check in directly rather than relying entirely on a detective's schedule. A local rape crisis advocate can often help you navigate that process and translate confusing bureaucratic language into plain answers.
It is also fair to hold two things at once: wanting accountability for how these systems are run, and giving yourself permission to keep healing regardless of what happens with the evidence. Your recovery does not have to wait on a lab report, a court date, or a headline about backlog numbers to be real and valid right now.
You are allowed to ask questions and expect answers. Here is where to start if you have a kit pending, whether it was collected last month or years ago.
This is supportive information, not legal or medical advice. If you need someone now, the RAINN hotline is 800-656-4673 — free and confidential, 24/7.
It generally means the kit was collected during a forensic exam but has not yet been sent to a lab for DNA testing, sometimes for months or years.
Not necessarily. Prosecution decisions depend on many factors, and a kit can still be tested and used later, though delays can complicate some cases.
Start with your local rape crisis center or the law enforcement agency that handled your case. Some states also offer online kit tracking for survivors.
Some states only require agencies to self-report totals rather than complete a physical inventory, which can leave real gaps between reported and actual numbers.
Share only what feels okay. We’ll gently connect you with confidential support — no pressure, no cost.
Someone caring will reach out within a day. If you need to talk now, RAINN is here 24/7 at 800-656-4673.