The Minnesota Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Project (MN SAKI) (is a collaborative effort to address the issue of previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits (SAKs) in Minnesota. Through a $2 million grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance in 2018 (Grant No. 2018-AK-BX-0019) and subsequent grants in 2019 (Grant No. 2019-AK-BX-0018) and 2020 (Grant No. 2020-AK-BX-0008), Minnesota is able to test these SAKs, gain insight into the nature and extent of the challenges regarding the collection and processing of SAKs, and provide critical information for policy and programmatic interventions to improve the statewide response to sexual assault.
The project partners include the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office, Anoka County Attorney's Office, Alexandra House (a victim service provider), and the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault (the statewide coalition of sexual assault programs). The project partners, along with numerous stakeholders, coordinate their work through the SAKI Multidisciplinary Team lead by the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault.
The funds from the two grants will support the following efforts:
Collect and evaluate data related to kit screening, testing outcomes, and any investigation and prosecution of these cases.
Under the project, sexual assault kits from Anoka County Sheriff’s Office will be reviewed and tested first, with a dedicated investigator to investigate these cases. A dedicated SAKI victim advocate from Alexandra House will provide services and support to Anoka County sexual assault victims in cases related to previously unsubmitted SAKs. All testing is done through the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Additional background on sexual assault kits in Minnesota can be found on the Minnesota SAKI Background page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an unsubmitted sexual assault kit?
An unsubmitted sexual assault kit is a sexual assault kit that has that have not been submitted to a forensic laboratory for testing and analysis using CODIS-eligible DNA methodologies.
What is the sexual assault kit inventory?
A sexual assault kit inventory is an inventory of sexual assault kits held by local law enforcement agencies that was conducted in 2015 by the BCA at the direction of the Minnesota legislature. That inventory determined that there were 3,482 sexual assault kits that were collected over the years as part of investigations, but not submitted for testing. When a sexual assault kit is collected from a victim, the investigating agency has the option to submit it to a forensic science laboratory for testing to determine whether it contains information helpful to the investigation. In the 2015 inventory, agencies said sexual assault kits had not been submitted for testing for reasons including the suspect confessed, the act was deemed consensual, prosecution was declined, the victim decided not to proceed, it was an anonymous report, and other reasons. This information was based on data provided to the BCA by law enforcement agencies throughout the state.
Will all unsubmitted sexual assault kits be tested?
The two grants provide funding to test most, but not all, of the previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits identified in 2015 sexual assault kit inventory.
All unsubmitted sexual assault kits will be evaluated to determine whether testing would potentially further an investigation or assist the grantees with developing sexual assault investigation protocols.
Will a kit only be tested if the survivor consents?
Only those kits where a
victim gave permission for the kit to be tested at the time of the incident
will be considered for testing. Prior to August of 2018, if the victim reported
to law enforcement, that is interpreted as consent to test their kit, unless
the victim specifically requested their kit not be tested. If the victim did
not report to law enforcement, the kit will not be tested. If the victim later
withdrew their consent, the kit will not be tested.
Kits collected after 2015
will not be tested under the Minnesota SAKI project, however, it is important
to note that testing is now handled differently in Minnesota as a result of
laws passed in 2018 and 2020. Starting August 2018, kits are classified as
either restricted or unrestricted based on the survivor’s decision whether or
not to consent to forensic testing of the kit. An unrestricted kit is
one where the victim has
reported the crime to law enforcement and consented to having the kit tested. A
restricted kit is one where the victim has not consented to having the kit
tested. Starting January 2021, all unrestricted kits will be tested and all
unrestricted kits will be stored in case the victim later wishes the kit to be
tested.
If you are a victim of sexual assault
Under Minnesota law, a sexual assault victim can obtain information about the status of their sexual assault kit by contacting the investigating agency. The victim can obtain the date the sexual assault examination kit was submitted to the forensic laboratory, the date the agency received notice of the results of testing, and whether a DNA profile was obtained from the testing.
Anoka County
Victims/survivors of sexual assault crimes committed in Anoka County in 2015 or prior that were reported to law enforcement can contact the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Notification Line to learn about the status of their kits. Anoka County victims/survivors can also call this line to state they do not want to be contacted about their case or that they do not want their kit tested.
Anoka County Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Notification Line: 763-324-5229
Contact
For questions about the Minnesota SAKI project, please contact Office of Justice Programs Crime Victim Justice Unit Director Suzanne Elwell at 651-201-7312 or suzanne.elwell@state.mn.us.
For media inquiries, please contact Public Information Officer Becky Rabb at 651-201-7563 or rebecca.rabb@state.mn.us.
This project was supported by Grant No. 2018-AK-BX-0019, 2019-AK-BX-0018, and 2020 (Grant No. 2020-AK-BX-0008) awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the 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.
