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The Daily Cardinal Est. 1892
Friday, March 29, 2024
Wisconsin’s Attorney General, Brad Schimel, appealed an earlier court ruling to the Supreme Court Friday that said state Assembly districts were unconstitutional and suppressed Democratic votes. 

Wisconsin’s Attorney General, Brad Schimel, appealed an earlier court ruling to the Supreme Court Friday that said state Assembly districts were unconstitutional and suppressed Democratic votes. 

Attorney general rolls out sexual assault kit tracking initiative

Building on his reputation as an advocate for victims of sexual violence, Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel introduced a plan Monday to support sexual assault survivors.

Alongside the Wisconsin Department of Justice and the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Schimel’s office rolled out the “By Your Side” campaign, an initiative designed to help sexual assault survivors track the progress of their cases.

The campaign aims to make it easier for survivors to locate their sexual assault kits and explore options for DNA testing by providing a new hotline number and a website.

“The criminal justice system relies on the courage of sexual assault survivors to catch perpetrators of sexual assault,” Schimel said in a statement. “The Department of Justice, WCASA and our partners around the state want survivors to know that we are here to support and empower them through this process. We will be by your side every step of the way.”

WCASA Executive Director Pennie Meyers touted the program as a win for survivors of sexual violence.

“It is important to remember that behind each kit is a sexual assault survivor,” Meyers said. “Thus, we have approached this daunting task in a trauma-informed and victim-centered manner from the very beginning.”

Wisconsin was widely criticized after the revelation over a year ago that thousands of its rape kits had never been tested. The state’s Department of Justice received $4 million of federal grant money in 2015 to accelerate testing, but Schimel’s office did not specify whether the grants will be used to fund “By Your Side.”

The attorney general said his office is working to eliminate the testing backlog, and that the new initiative will make it easier for sexual assault survivors to track the process.

Schimel campaigned on a platform of helping sexual assault survivors in 2014, and was awarded the Wisconsin Association of Victim and Witness Professionals “Wisconsin Professional of the Year” in 2006 for his work on survivors’ behalves.

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