County Launches Portal for Victims of Sexual Assault to Track Cases
Published on April 24, 2024
The Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner (ACOME) and the Allegheny County Police Department (ACPD) today announced the launch of a web portal to provide victims of sexual assault with a connection to pursue information on their case. Support for the project came from 2019 Bureau of Justice Assistance Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) funding.
The Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) has been a critical part of enhancing the criminal justice response to sexual assault and ensuring justice for victims. SAKI funding has allowed for third-party testing of kits, but also helps link victims to advocates and needed services. Participating jurisdictions have also been able to implement best practices and comprehensive reform to help bring people who commit sexual assault to justice and increase safety in communities by preventing future sexual assaults.
“April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and there couldn’t be a more appropriate time to launch this portal for victims to pursue information about their cases. As my administration focuses on building a county for all, that includes providing services for victims looking for compassion and support. I’m pleased the Office of the Medical Examiner and our County Police Department are providing this new portal to our community,” said County Executive Sara Innamorato.
“We’re proud to be a part of any program aimed at supporting those who have gone through such traumatic experiences,” Superintendent Christopher Kearns of the Allegheny County Police Department said. “Allowing victims to access case information on their own terms will keep critical lines of communication open with both law enforcement and advocates for victims of sexual assault.”
“Our office has been involved in efforts relating to the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative for several years, and we are pleased to see this portal come to fruition, which will help streamline sexual assault victims’ access to information,” Dr. Ariel Goldschmidt, Chief Medical Examiner of Allegheny County said.
ACOME and ACPD, meeting with project stakeholders Pittsburgh Action Against Rape and the Center for Victims, quickly identified a need to enhance community outreach and survivor outreach programs. This community portal was developed as a result of those conversations. It allows victims of sexual assault to pursue information on the status of their case in their own time. The website strives to ensure the most supportive and effective methods of communication and information sharing by linking the victim to a case liaison who will then coordinate efforts between victim advocacy groups and law enforcement.
The web portal does not provide information to the general public. Instead, it gathers information from the person seeking the detail which is then received by an assigned SAKI liaison and vetted before being pursued. Individuals who submit information may choose how they want to be contacted and will hear from someone within 10 business days after submitting their request.
Sexual assault kits collected after July 10, 2015, for which consent was not provided for testing, are not included in this portal as those kits have not been tested. Anonymous kits are also not included in the portal. Individuals submitting a sexual assault kit anonymously should contact the victim advocacy group with whom they worked for an update.
The web portal is available online. Flyers that contain QR codes to link victims directly to the portal will also be distributed by law enforcement and victim advocacy groups to victims of sexual assault.
Media inquiries may be directed to the Communications Office.
For contact information, including email addresses and telephone numbers, visit the office website.