Esther Devitt
11/4/19
Forensics D-Odd
Current Event 7
Watkins, Ali. “Old Rape Kits Finally Got Tested. 64 Attackers Were Convicted.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 12 Mar. 2019,
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/12/nyregion/rape-kit-tests.html
In this article, Ali Walker discusses how old rape kits that were never looked at were finally tested years
later, thanks to a 38 million dollar grant from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office from forfeiture
money. Across the country, 20 states recieved money to finally test the rape kits that were never looked at.
The grant will end up providing testing for 55,000 untested rape kits. While this process takes a long time
to find a prosecute the rapist, out of all of the DNA matches half of them are strong enough to enter in
the FBI database which can help catch the rapist if they do it again, and 9,200 of them are already in
the FBI’s system. While it is a great initiative that the old rape tests are finally getting tested, it raises the
question: why were they not tested before? Many states have passed legislation to address the problem
but with the number coming in it is hard to make much change to the system. “Still, even with such
successes, the problem of untested rape kits persists. Advocates for rape victims estimate that about
250,000 kits remain untested across the country”(Watkins). As the author explains while there have been
lots of success from the new initiatives and grants that states recurved to test the backlogged kits, there
needs to be more solutions to this issue because of the number of rape kits coming in.
later, thanks to a 38 million dollar grant from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office from forfeiture
money. Across the country, 20 states recieved money to finally test the rape kits that were never looked at.
The grant will end up providing testing for 55,000 untested rape kits. While this process takes a long time
to find a prosecute the rapist, out of all of the DNA matches half of them are strong enough to enter in
the FBI database which can help catch the rapist if they do it again, and 9,200 of them are already in
the FBI’s system. While it is a great initiative that the old rape tests are finally getting tested, it raises the
question: why were they not tested before? Many states have passed legislation to address the problem
but with the number coming in it is hard to make much change to the system. “Still, even with such
successes, the problem of untested rape kits persists. Advocates for rape victims estimate that about
250,000 kits remain untested across the country”(Watkins). As the author explains while there have been
lots of success from the new initiatives and grants that states recurved to test the backlogged kits, there
needs to be more solutions to this issue because of the number of rape kits coming in.
While it is great that rape kits are finally being tested after not being looked at for years, the grant given
to the 20 states from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office does not help provide a permanent solution
to this issue. Rape is very relevant in society and it is often in the headlines of the paper, or the news,
or even talked about on social media. Even though there is a lot of awareness on this issue, there are still
many problems with the system that law enforcement agencies are going about when testing rape kits
and the lack of testing.
to the 20 states from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office does not help provide a permanent solution
to this issue. Rape is very relevant in society and it is often in the headlines of the paper, or the news,
or even talked about on social media. Even though there is a lot of awareness on this issue, there are still
many problems with the system that law enforcement agencies are going about when testing rape kits
and the lack of testing.
Overall, I thought that this article was very informative and well written, it touched upon very important
points in the story and made it interesting for the readers. Although the article was very detailed I wish
it discusses how forensic science was used in the process of testing rape kits. I also think that the article
could have been organized a little better, at times it felt unorganized.
points in the story and made it interesting for the readers. Although the article was very detailed I wish
it discusses how forensic science was used in the process of testing rape kits. I also think that the article
could have been organized a little better, at times it felt unorganized.
4 comments:
Madison Meehan
11/4/19
Forensics D Odd
Current Event 7
Watkins, Ali. “Old Rape Kits Finally Got Tested. 64 Attackers Were Convicted.” The New York
Times, The New York Times, 12 Mar. 2019,
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/12/nyregion/rape-kit-tests.html
https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4250390869532540972&postID=7665865021461366294
Esther chose a very interesting and relevant topic for her current event, which I enjoyed reading about. She did a very good job summarizing the article she chose in her first paragraph, making sure to include quotes. She also provided some needed data to help the reader understand the topic better. Lastly, she criticised the article well, making sure to point out some flaws she saw.
Although Esther did a very good job reviewing this article, there are some things she could’ve changed. One thing she could’ve done better is provide her opinion or insight on the topic a little more instead of just summarizing the article. She also could have provided evidence in the criticisms of the article to pinpoint exact parts of the article that she thought were flawed.
I enjoyed learning about this topic and think Esther did a very good job providing a nice summary on it. It relates a lot to forensics and I think it will help in the future as we learn more about analyzing victims.
Molly Palma
Mr. Ippolito C-Odd
Current Event 8 Comment
Due November 15th
Watkins, Ali. “Old Rape Kits Finally Got Tested. 64 Attackers Were Convicted.” The New York
Times, The New York Times, 12 Mar. 2019,
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/12/nyregion/rape-kit-tests.html
With Esther’s first paragraph, I was able to identify key aspects about the article: the author, the topic discussed, and the context behind it. She summarized the article concisely, while providing exact details as well. An example of this is when she said “the grant will end up providing testing for 55,000 untested rape kits.” In addition, I liked when Esther used a question in her review. She answered her own question, by providing insight and a quote taken directly from the article. This was a very powerful writing technique. Lastly, I found it interesting how Esther was able to to discuss how the study of these old rape kits relates back to society. She said “even though there is a lot of awareness on this issue, there are still many problems with the system that law enforcement agencies are going about when testing rape kits and the lack of testing.” She not only discusses the pros of this grant, but also what needs to be done with the issue of rape as a whole.
Esther mentions how the author of the article wasn’t too invested with the forensic science behind it all. But neither was Esther in her review. It’s understandable that she worked with what she was given, but I wish she had some more of her own insight to share. Esther’s conclusion paragraph seemed a little rushed as well. I wish she explained why it was unorganized rather than leaving the reader questioning.
I chose this article because of the title of Ali Watkins’ piece. After hearing 64 criminals were convicted, it makes you wonder a bit. After reading this review, I have a more deep understanding about the logistics behind rape cases. I never knew that these rape kits needed to be tested again and it is great that there is movement working towards it in the other 30 states in the United States. A specific fact that stood out with me in this is that 9,200 of the DNA matches found on the rape kits are already in the system. This prompted my curiosity regarding recurring violence, like rape.
Ellie Dessart
Mr. Ippolito
Forensics C Odd
6 January 2020
Current Event 12 Comment
Citation:
Watkins, Ali. “Old Rape Kits Finally Got Tested. 64 Attackers Were Convicted.” The New York
Times, The New York Times, 12 Mar. 2019,
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/12/nyregion/rape-kit-tests.html
Link to Original Review:
https://bhscsi.blogspot.com/2019/11/esther-devitt-current-event-7.html
Esther’s review was interesting and informative. Firstly, she did a good job keeping her first paragraph concise, while still details pertaining to the grant received, the number of untested rape kits, etc. Secondly, Esther thoughtfully explored the importance of her article and its topic in the next paragraph. She wrote, “Rape is very relevant in society and it is often in the headlines of the paper, or the news, or even talked about on social media.” Her connection shows an awareness of a large issue present today. Thirdly, I enjoyed Esther’s input in the second paragraph. She addressed the continuity of the problem, stating, “While it is great that rape kits are finally being tested after not being looked at for years, the grant given to the 20 states from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office does not help provide a permanent solution to the issue.” By offering a critique, Esther proves to be an insightful inquisitor.
However, there were some areas Esther could have improved on. In the first paragraph, although she included several details, she could have cited specific examples from the New York Times article. Providing information directly from the original text helps to strengthen a writer’s credibility. Additionally, Esther could have developed her ideas more in the second paragraph. What other problems are there in the system that law enforcement needs to address? How could we resolve such issues? Since Esther brought up several good points, I would have liked to see some more elaboration on her part.
Overall, Esther crafted a strong review. While I’m hopeful for the future of investigating sexual assault cases, I’m appalled by the large number of untested rape kits that exist to begin with. The article raises questions as to why they remain untouched for so long, and the delay causes concern as to the priority of law enforcement when it comes to the type of cases they receive. How does this impact victims in their struggles to speak up and seek help? It’ll be interesting to see how this new development changes the way sexual assault is investigated.
Eve Balseiro
Watkins, Ali. “Old Rape Kits Finally Got Tested. 64 Attackers Were Convicted.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 12 Mar. 2019,
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/12/nyregion/rape-kit-tests.html
https://bhscsi.blogspot.com/2019/11/esther-devitt-current-event-7.html
Esther Devitt’s analysis and summary of “Old Rape Kits Finally Got Tested. 64 Attacks Were Convicted” from the New York Times was concise and well-written. She did three things specifically well. One, Esther provided lots of detail regarding how and why the old rape kits were tested, as they received funding from the Manhatten District Attorney’s Office. I also though Esther explained the process following the testing very well. Lastly, Esther made sure to make her summary the perfect length, including all necessary details without going overboard.
I feel that there were a few moments that would have made this current event stronger. Firstly, I would have found it beneficial for Esther commented on how this issue is relevant in today’s political climate. Secondly, I noticed that Esther utilized a quote in her second paragraph. I think that was an excellent choice but I wish she quoted a little more frequently.
Overall, Esther’s current event was very well written and informative. I had no idea there were so many untested old rape kits. This topic is crucial for young adults, especially those approaching their freshman year in college, to be more informed of.
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