Baltimore County Police Destroyed More Rape Kits Than Stated
BALTIMORE (AP) -- Police in Baltimore County, Maryland, have destroyed more than double the number many rape kits they reported destroyed over a six-year period.
The Baltimore Sun reports police said in 2016 that 231 rape kits were destroyed from 2010 to 2015, but recently obtained records say 521 rape kits were actually destroyed. Police spokesman Shawn Vinson couldn't immediately explain the discrepancy.
Vinson says the department will work to clarify the number with the county's Sexual Assault Investigations Task Force. County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr.'s office says the task force will investigate.
Vinson says a lawsuit accusing the department of destroying untested rape kits limits what he can say. It historically destroyed kits by anonymous or uncooperative victims due to storage costs. A law passed Thursday requires the testing of most rape kits.