Who's Picking Up the Bill for Rape Evidence Collection Kits

North Carolina has engaged in important dialog about the need for the state to pay the entire bill for rape evidence collection kits. Before the first story in the Raleigh, NC, newspaper, the News and Observer, most people were not aware that a survivor, or her insurance, may get a bill for part of the fees for a rape evidence collection kit.

After the first story ran, Secretary Bryan Beatty, of the NC Department of Crime Control and Public Safety, lifted the $1000 cap on funds used to pay for evidence collection kits. The average kit costs about $1600, according to the News and Observer (http://www.newsobserver.com/).

Juliette Grimmett, legislative chair and campus representative on the board of directors of the North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault, wrote the following op-ed piece that was published today in the News and Observer to shine more light on the need for the NC legislature to remove any and all burden of paying for a rape evidence collection kit from rape survivors.

To read Ms. Grimmett's op-ed article, use the following link:

http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/columns/story/968275.html