Sexual assault survivor calling on North Carolina to address its backlog in evidence collection kits

And thanks for joining us for the news At 11 I'm Vanessa Rufus we're going to Start with that plea for help from a Sexual assault Survivor we know when Someone is sexually assaulted it is Often evidence collection kits or rape Kits that lead to the arrest of the Attacker but when those kits go to a lab They're not tested right away in fact Some organizations estimate hundreds of Thousands sit in Labs Across the Nation Untested tonight A North Carolina woman Says that she cannot bring her abuser to Justice because her own kit is held up In the state's crime lab and she is Begging Cornelius police for help WCNC Charlotte's Julia Kaufman shares her Story Yeah that Survivor came here to Cornelius town hall to urge Town Council And police to help her she says she was Raped in Cornelius three years ago but Her abuser is walking free partly due to A backlog in test kits it shouldn't Happen to anybody else and it shouldn't Have happened to me Whitley Ethan feels Her case isn't being taken seriously by Police if they did do something they Brought him in for questioning if they You know Took his DNA it would help my case so Much she says she was held hostage and Raped by a man she met on a dating app After she went to the hospital to get a

Sexual assault kit those kits are sent To a State Crime Lab once a victim Presses charges but right now thousands Of kids in North Carolina are waiting to Be tested for DNA everything was very Delayed and I didn't understand why it Was taking them so long the Attorney General's office says the lab is now Processing kits it received from police In June 2021. Ethan's kit was sent in Almost a year after that since it may Take months or longer until her kit is Tested she's hoping Cornelius Police can Do more to hold the suspect accountable I cannot comment on that case at this Time the Cornelius Police Chief and Mayor saying Tuesday they can't speak About the investigation Ethan hopes her Case takes a turn soon so she can move On and protect other women there is a Rapist at large who is out there to rape Again and he knows he he won't be held Accountable so why wouldn't he and it's Putting everybody's safety and danger And nobody seems to care we're waiting To hear back from the crime lap on why There's a backlog in test kits but as of July 2022 the Attorney General's office Reported that there were more than 5 000 Kids awaiting test results in Cornelius Julia Kaufman WCNC Charlotte

Charlotte, North Carolina – The Capital of the South

Charlotte, North Carolina, is a major metropolitan area and second largest financial center in the U.S. It is home to a number of prestigious schools and is a magnet for people from the South.

Charlotte began as a small, plantation economy town. The arrival of railroads helped boost the economy. A few years after the Civil War, Charlotte was an economic powerhouse. In the late 1800s, the New South movement started to take hold in the region. Many architects and other professionals arrived in the area.

By the time the Great Depression hit, Charlotte had emerged as a major wholesaling and distribution point for the southeast United States. Several industries came to Charlotte, including Ford Motor Company. During this era, the cotton industry was still the mainstay of the city’s economy.

By the early 1900s, Charlotte had a true architectural community. Many of the best-known architectural works in the city were built in that era.

In addition to the textile industry, other factories in the vicinity of Charlotte manufactured gunpowder, agricultural equipment, canteens, and chemicals. A third industry, trucking, also emerged.

Cotton, which was raised in the region, was transported to Charleston and Fayetteville, and then on to the Carolinas. Cotton production and distribution continues to dominate the Charlotte-area economy today.

Charlotte is also home to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. This university has a large number of graduates every year.

Other educational institutions in the Charlotte area include King’s College, Central Piedmont Community College, and Johnson & Wales University.