Is Delayed Justice Still Justice? Sexual Assault Survivors’ Experiences of Distributive, Retributive, and Restorative Outcomes in Cold Case Prosecutions

This study examined the experiences of sexual assault survivors whose cases were criminally prosecuted after their previously untested sexual assault kits (SAKs) were discovered and tested for DNA evidence. We conducted qualitative interviews with 32 survivors, the majority of whom identified as Black women, to examine how their perceptions of distributive, retributive, and restorative justice collectively shaped their overall experiences of justice. Although most cases resulted in convictions, survivors described justice as fragmented and incomplete. Findings highlight how structural inequities and institutional failures constrain justice and suggest that theories of justice should be grounded more firmly in survivors’ lived realities.