The DeWine Husted for Ohio campaign today began airing their first television ad for the general election – “Untested”.
The television ad highlights Mike DeWine’s work to test 12,000 rape kits that had previously been left untested. The ad is running statewide.
Watch:
SCRIPT:
Alyssa: The assailant had a gun, and he pointed it to my head. And I was raped.
Narrator: While Richard Cordray was Attorney General, 12,000 rape kits like Alyssa’s were left untested.
Cordray’s failure left serial rapists free to strike again.
Then Mike DeWine became Attorney General. He tested all 12,000 rape kits. Now hundreds of rapists are behind bars.
Alyssa: Thanks to Mike DeWine they found my rapist. Because of Mike DeWine I’m not afraid anymore.
It feels good not to be scared.
Background:
After taking office as Attorney General in 2011, Mike DeWine called for police departments across Ohio to start sending rape kits to the state crime lab for testing in all case of sexual assault and promised to add staff to process older, untested rape kits. (“Attorney General Mike DeWine calls for testing of rape kits in all cases,” cleveland.com, Aaron Marshall, 12/05/11)
Earlier this year, DeWine’s office announced they had cleared Ohio’s backlog of untested rape kits. The state was able to test 13,931 kits which led to 300 offenders being linked to 1,127 crimes, uploaded 8,648 DNA profiles into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) and made 5,024 hits on a criminal profile or a match to another case. (“Ohio Clears Backlog of Untested Rape Kits,” Ohio Public Radio, Nick Evans, 02/23/18)
Now, other states are looking to Ohio as a model on how to clear rape kit backlogs. (“Washington looks to Ohio as model for clearing rape kit backlog,” King News, Natalie Brand, 06/14/18)
Recently, DeWine announced a free, online rape kit tracking system to allow victims the option to track information about testing in their case and add accountability to ensure than an accumulation of untested rape kits will never happen again in Ohio. (“Rape kit tracking system to allow victim access, system accountability in Ohio,” cleveland.com , Rachel Dissell, 08/09/18)