Millions Earmarked to Clear Backlog of Untested Rape Kits

The U.S. Attorney General and Vice President Joe Biden are set to announce Thursday the release of $41 million to help clear a nationwide backlog of untested rape kits, NBC News reported.

Loretta Lynch and Biden will be joined by "Law and Order" actress Mariska Hargitay, whose Joyful Heart Foundation has championed the cause for years, at a press conference in Manhattan.

Documents obtained by USA TODAY Media Network, an NBC News partner, uncovered more than 70,000 neglected forensic evidence kits amassed by more than 1,000 police agencies, which account for only a fraction of the nation’s 18,000 departments, so the total number of untested kits is likely far higher, in the hundreds of thousands.

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