SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — Kits intended for collecting sexual assault evidence at home, available for purchase online, are considered fraudulent. A proposed law currently awaiting the governor’s approval aims to prohibit the sale, advertising, and distribution of these kits.
Despite claims from companies selling these kits that they provide privacy and empowerment, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has cautioned consumers since 2019. He highlighted that evidence from these kits is unlikely to be admissible in criminal court due to issues with evidence collection methods and maintaining the proper chain of custody.
“I am worried that these products are being marketed as alternatives to medical forensic exams and might prevent survivors from receiving necessary medical attention or mislead them into believing the evidence they gather will be valid in legal prosecutions,” Raoul stated.
Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs) said there are more reasons survivors should seek healthcare.
“People might need emotional support or further medical care, so the place to get a forensic test would be a place that does that: a clinic or a hospital,” Glowiak Hilton said.
The senator added medical forensic exams are free to the survivor in Illinois.
“We need to put an end to companies profiting off of someone else’s trauma,” she said.
The bill was unanimous in both chambers. If signed into law, the proposal would go into effect Jan. 1. After that date, anyone who buys a kit could also sue the seller for damages.
