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Rape Kit Law Enacted in Virginia

msmagazine

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A new law in Virginia will ensure that sexual assault victims are notified when the state completes the analysis of their rape kit.

The bill backed by Attorney General Mark Herring requires law enforcement to contact victims or their family members when they finish testing a PERK kit. Victims will also be able to get any law-enforcement analysis of the kit.

The new law was one two measures Gov. Terry McAuliffe highlighted during a ceremonial bill signing on Thursday. The Democratic governor signed the bills into law last month.

The other bill makes victims of sexual violence and human trafficking eligible for a mail-forwarding service designed to keep confidential the new address of victims who have relocated.  

Both laws will take effect in July.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.