Senator Maria Cantwell's Statement (as prepared) on the Introduction of the Debbie Smith Bill
"Thank you Meredith (Meredith Wagner, Executive Vice President, Lifetime TV). Lifetime Television has done an outstanding job at educating women about violence.
"I also want to thank Representative Carolyn Maloney who has been a tireless advocate on behalf of women who have been victims of violence.
"I'm here today to announce that I am introducing the Senate companion to the Debbie Smith bill. This bill addresses the issue of sexual assault in two ways: by providing law enforcement the tools to track and convict sexual assailants and helping to ensure that rape survivors are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.
"Sadly, somewhere in America, a woman is raped every two minutes. One in three women will be sexually assaulted, including raped, in her lifetime.
"In my home state of Washington this number is even higher. According to the Washington state Office of Crime Victims Advocacy more than one third of the women in my state have been sexually assaulted.
"This is unacceptable.
"As Debbie Smith, a rape survivor who is here with us today, knows - collecting, analyzing, and entering this critical DNA evidence into the Combined DNA Index System database is often the key to finding and convicting a sexual assailant. Unfortunately, many jurisdictions throughout the country do not have the funding for this simple, yet vital process.
"Consequently, crime scene kits go unanalyzed and valuable DNA information is lost forever.
"Today, over 20,000 DNA samples are sitting useless in storage. These samples could be holding the clues needed to solve crimes, or even track a serial rapist. This means 20,000 women who had the courage to report their rape may never find the peace of mind of those who know their assailant has been caught.
"When the Washington State Patrol Crime Laboratory tested approximately 200 no-suspect rape cases, there were eight matches in the DNA database.
"By authorizing funding to carry out analyses on crime scenes samples and log DNA data into a searchable databank, this bill provides law enforcement with the tools necessary for an effective and successful criminal investigation.
"The bill also provides Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners, or SANE nurses, with specific training so that critical forensic evidence is thoroughly collected and documented and that sexual assault survivors are treated with professional care in a confidential and sensitive environment.
"SANE nurses can make the difference to women facing one of the most difficult events of their lives.
"In 1995, a young woman at home in Olympia, Washington state was raped at gunpoint. She said the SANE nurses who collected DNA evidence after the assault "made [her] feel at ease, more confident, and more comfortable."
"The DNA entered into the database matched that of a convicted serial rapist Jeffrey Paul McKechnie, the "I-5 Rapist," resulting in his conviction for the crime.
"We need to pass this bill to make sure that we can catch the next Jeffrey Paul McKechnie and make our streets safer.
"Thank you.
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