Sexual Assault Kit Testing Initiative
The Sexual Assault Kit Initiative of the Office of the Attorney General has secured over $6 million in grant funds, in partnership with the Virginia Department of Forensic Science and the Virginia State Police, with the goal of enhancing awareness of the importance of testing all sexual assault kits, building the capacity for trauma-informed responses to sexual crimes through multidisciplinary collaboration, and solving cold case sexual assaults and sexually motivated homicides.
Grant funds have and continue to support the following:
- Elimination of the backlog of unsubmitted sexual assault kits;
- Training and technical assistance for law enforcement and community partners that interact with victims of sexual assault;
- Investigative and analytical support for cold case sexual assaults and sexually motivated homicides;
- Building, implementation, and support of the Physical Evidence Recovery Kit (PERK) Tracking System; and
- Funding to support advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy.
Survivor Resources
Virginia Resources
Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance (24/7 assistance available)
Helpline (24/7 assistance available):
- Website: https://vsdvalliance.org/get-help-ayuda/
- Phone: 1-800-838-8238
- Text: (804) 793-9999
- Mail: Action Alliance
P.O. Box 17115, Richmond, VA 23226
LGBTQ Helpline:
- Phone: 1-866-356-6998
- Text: (804) 793-9999
Confidential PREA Reporting Hotline:
- Phone: 1-855-602-7001 (follow prompts)
- Email:
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Latinos in Virginia Empowerment Center:
- Website: https://en.latinosenvirginia.org/
- Statewide Bilingual Hotline - La Línea de Ayuda: 1-888-969-1825
Virginia Lawyer Referral Service:
- Website: https://vlrs.community.lawyer/
- Phone: 1-800-552-7977
- Email:
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VaLegal Aid:
- Website: https://www.valegalaid.org/
- Phone: 1(866)LEGLAID (1-866-534-5243)
PERK Tracking System Victim Portal:
- Access the PERK tracking system victim portal at: https://perk.dfs.virginia.gov/
- For assistance accessing Victim Portal, please contact the PERK Tracking System Coordinator:
- Phone: 804-588-4050
- Email:
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National Resources
Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network (RAINN):
- Website: https://www.RAINN.org
- Hotline: 1-(800)656-HOPE (1-800-656-4673)
- Online Chat: https://hotline.rainn.org/online
1 in 6 for Sexually Abused or Assaulted Men:
- Website: https://1in6.org/
- Online Chat: https://1in6.org/helpline
Department of Defense (DoD) Sexual Assault Helpline:
- Website: https://www.safehelpline.org
- Hotline: 1-877-955-5247
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:
- Website: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
- Hotline: 1-800-273-8255 / or TTY: Use preferred relay service or dial 711 then 1-800-273-8255
The Trevor Lifeline (for young LGBTQ+ people):
- Website: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/
- Hotline: 1-866-488-7386
- Text Chat: Text "START” to 678-678
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline:
- Website: https://www.samhsa.gov
- Find your closest treatment location: https://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/
- Hotline: 1-(800)-662-HELP (4357) / or TTY: 1-(800)-487-4889
Physical Evidence Recovery Kit (PERK) Legislation
Physical Evidence Recovery Kit (PERK) Legislation
https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title19.2/chapter1.2/
Comprehensive legislation became effective July 1, 2016 requiring all PERKs to be submitted to the Department of Forensic Science for analysis within 60 days unless a statutory exemption applies. The legislation also addressed the retention of PERKs and victims' rights regarding information about the PERK collected in their case. Mandatory use of the Physical Evidence Recovery Kit (PERK) Tracking system was added later, becoming effective July 1, 2020.
- Anonymous physical evidence recovery kits (Code of Virginia § 19.2-11.6)
- Law enforcement taking possession of physical evidence recovery kits (Code of Virginia § 19.2-11.7)
- Submission of physical evidence recovery kits to the Department (Code of Virginia § 19.2-11.8)
- Lack of Compliance with procedures (Code of Virginia § 19.2-11.9)
- Expungement of DNA profile (Code of Virginia § 19.2-11.10)
- Victim's right to notification of scientific analysis information (Code of Virginia § 19.2-11.11)
- Costs of physical evidence recovery kits (Code of Virginia § 19.2-11.12)
- Physical Evidence Recovery Kit Tracking System (Code of Virginia § 19.2-11.13)
PERK Submission FAQ for Law Enforcement
Is the PERK required to be submitted for testing if the suspect is known?
- This is not a statutory specified reason for not submitting a PERK for analysis. Unless one of the five statutory reasons apply, the kit must be submitted for analysis. Any questions about whether another statutory reason/exception applies should be directed to the Commonwealth's Attorney or the law enforcement agency's legal advisor.
Is the PERK required to be submitted for testing if the victim is no longer cooperating with the investigation?
- This is not a statutory specified reason for not submitting a PERK for analysis. Unless one of the five statutory reasons apply, the kit must be submitted for analysis. Any questions about whether another statutory reason/exception applies should be directed to the Commonwealth's Attorney or the law enforcement agency's legal advisor.
Is the PERK required to be submitted for testing is prosecution is declined?
- This is not a statutory specified reason for not submitting a PERK for analysis. Unless one of the five statutory reasons apply, the kit must be submitted for analysis. Any questions about whether another statutory reason/exception applies should be directed to the Commonwealth's Attorney or the law enforcement agency's legal advisor.
PERK Tracking System
Physical Evidence Recovery Kit (PERK) Tracking System
https://perk.dfs.virginia.gov/
The Physical Evidence Recovery Kit (PERK) Tracking System is a web-based system that tracks the location and status of victim and OCME PERKS in Virginia. Collection sites, law enforcement, the Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services (DCLS), and the Department of Forensic Science (DFS) are required to enter the status and location of PERKs in their possession into the System. Use of the PERK Tracking System is mandatory as of July 1, 2020. The Tracking System does not serve as an official chain of custody for any PERK. For training, access, and troubleshooting assistance, please contact the PERK Tracking System Coordinator at (804) 588-4050 or
Victim Portal
https://perk.dfs.virginia.gov/
The Victim Portal of the PERK Tracking System provides access for survivors to view the location and testing status of the PERK collected in their case. The Tracking System does not contain any identifying information, nor does it contain analysis results. For assistance with access to the system, please contact the PERK Tracking System Coordinator at (804) 588-4050 or
Training Opportunities
Trauma Informed Sexual Assault Investigations
(multiple dates and locations, virtual options available)
Hosted by the Office of Attorney General
The Office of the Attorney General is launching a training series on conducting trauma informed sexual assault investigations. The training content is based on the training curriculum developed by the International Association of Chiefs of Police and is primarily focused on law enforcement response, but is useful for all disciplines that work directly with victims of sexual assault such as prosecutors, victim advocates, forensic nurses, dispatch, EMS, etc.
Presenters/Contact:
Teri Duesbery, Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) Victim Advocate
(804) 786-8107
Stephen Elswick, Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) Investigator
(804) 786-3819
Trauma-Responsive Investigations and Sexual Assault Victim Interviews
| Location | Training Dates | Open Application Period | Notification of Application Status by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fredericksburg, VA | March 8-11 | January 10-28 | February 8 |
| Lynchburg, VA | June 27-30 | April 25-May 16 | May 27 |
| Winchester, VA | July 25-28 | May 25-June 13 | June 24 |
| Williamsburg, VA | September 20-24 | July 20-August 8 | August 22 |
Hosted by the Department of Criminal Justice Services
Trauma-Responsive Investigations and Sexual Assault Victim Interviews is an intensive four-day course in which investigators, prosecutors and victim advocates learn the necessary skills to provide a trauma-informed response to adult sexual assault victims, including criminal investigation strategies and victim interviews. This interactive course combines lectures, experiential skill-building exercises, and reading assignments.
For more information: https://www.dcjs.virginia.gov/training-events/trauma-responsive-investigations-and-sexual-assault-0
Contact:
Jennifer Kline
Department of Criminal Justice Services
Victims Services
(804) 225-3456
Sexual Assault Kit Initiative
From the SAKI website: ”The National SAKI Training and Technical Assistance Program now provides an expanded set of online resources, webinars, and virtual courses to support sexual assault response. Choose from our growing catalogue of over 60 webinars. Take an online course from the SAKI Virtual Academy to deepen your knowledge and develop plans to address unsubmitted sexual assault kits. Create your own training curriculum and find resources to improve your community's response to sexual assault with the SAKI Toolkit.”
For more information please contact
This project was supported by Grant No. 2019-AK-BX-0020 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the SMART Office. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.