A Documentary Analysis on the Impact of Untested Rape Kits on Victims' Psychological Health

The rape kit backlog impacts both victims and society at large. This paper delves into the psychological impacts on victims. Due to the justice system's failure to adequately address sexual assault, many people have a natural distrust of the system and its capabilities. An abundance of unprocessed kits have been discovered across the US; however, in this paper, Missouri and Minnesota are the primary examples. There has been an abundance of papers discussing the legal aspects of the backlog; however, victims have been left voiceless, and little academic research has discussed the psychological impacts. By focusing on the way that the rape kit backlog affects the victims, their voices can be included in the conversation about this issue. Furthermore, future research must include examining this issue from the victim's perspective rather than only from the legal perspective. By informing people of this issue and giving a voice to the victims, more funding could be received to test rape kits.