Washington D.C. – Today, Penny Nance, CEO and President of Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding the reauthorization of the Debbie Smith Act. She urged them to continue to improve the support given to victims of sexual assault, ensuring that every sexual assault kit is processed before the statute of limitationsruns out.
Penny Nance, CEO and President of Concerned Women for AmericaLegislative Action Committee, issued the following statement following her testimony:
“Each time the reauthorization of the Debbie Smith Act comes up, we should do the hard work necessary to reevaluate our approach and raise the bar. We must push ourselves until each sexual assault kit is accounted for and every last one is processed – because every kit represents a brave woman waiting for justice. For some of these women, the clock is running out as the statute of limitations for rape approaches.
“Accountability in the reporting of existing backlogs must be required and processing of rape kits must be prioritized.
“We should never forget the picture of the deteriorating, abandoned warehouse in Detroit where some 11,000 rape kits were stockpiled, unopened and unprocessed for decades. Each of those kits represents a woman whose life was forever changed. She deserves closure. She deserves justice.
“Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee has been committed to working on this issue on the federal level and with states to end the backlog. We will continue to commit ourselves to these women. It was my privilege to stand before the Senate Judiciary Committee today on behalf of each hurting woman represented by these unprocessed rape kits. They deserve better.”
For an interview with Penny Nance, contact Annabelle Rutledge at arutledge@cwfa.org or 916-792-3973