3 ms·
Doesn't it depend on the circumstances? Sometimes the kit might not reveal any useful information. You assume because it is some sciency sounding thing it will
by facepalm 11y ago
Doesn't it depend on the circumstances? Sometimes the kit might not reveal any useful information. You assume because it is some sciency sounding thing it will give you 100% information, but what do you actually know about those kits? They might also just yield some likelihood or even false pointers. Why do you automatically assume the police chose to ignore important evidence? The article doesn't tell us anything about that.
- mikeash 11y agoIf they're not useful then don't collect them. There's no circumstance where it makes sense to collect them but not test them. I don't think this dichotomy rests on any assumptions about how they work or what information they give. I'm sure there are some circumstances where testing the kit is completely redundant. But how often does that happen? If it's rare, why bother carving out an exception?
- facepalm 11y agoWhat makes you think it is rare? Maybe most of the time the rapists confess without the need to use the kit (maybe the existence of the kit is enough to make them confess, so no need to actually process it). And maybe collecting the information from the kits is just standard procedure, like photographing crime scenes, taking finger prints, and so on (all the stuff we see on TV).
- mikeash 11y agoI'd be shocked if most rapists confessed. That would, as far as I know, make rape completely unique in the world of crime. Additionally, as another commenter mentioned, false confessions exist. I don't understand your "standard procedure" comment. Either collecting the kits is useful or it is not. If it is, then test them. If it is not, don't collect them. If collecting them is "standard procedure" then change the procedure.
- cushychicken 11y agoI would recommend you read "Missoula", by Jon Krakauer. Many rapists, when confronted by authorities, do confess. What's sickening is that many of them, in turn, aren't heavily prosecuted by those same authorities.
- DanBC 11y agoCollecting a rape kit is intrusive and sometimes traumatic for the victim / survivor. Collecting this evidence with no intent to process it is borderline abusive. Rape kit collection is one of many reasons why many people do not report their rape to police.
- facepalm 11y agoSo rape victims are forced to have that procedure done? That doesn't really make sense.