Washington state counts more than 6K sexual assault kits

SEATTLE – The attorney general’s office says there are 6,460 sexual assault kits that have not yet been submitted for lab testing by law enforcement agencies in Washington state.

KIRO-TV reported the attorney general’s office has completed an inventory of the untested kits and is developing a plan to conduct testing.

The state was awarded a $3 million federal grant last year to fund the testing and investigation of kits, which have been stored at police departments across the state and contain forensic evidence collected from victims.

The state has received 25 percent of the grant to fund the inventory, but now Attorney General Bob Ferguson said he will request the remainder of the funds.

The state will use $1.5 million of the grant to fund testing, the maximum amount allowed.