Northern Indiana prosecutor looking into untested rape kits

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - A northern Indiana county prosecutor says he doesn't know why hundreds of rape kits were not sent away to a crime lab for testing.

The South Bend Tribune reports police agencies in St. Joseph County have 512 untested evidence kits in their possession. Some date back decades.

Indiana State Police recently conducted an audit to see how many sexual assault kits were languishing in police stations and evidence rooms around the state. St. Joseph County was found to have the most kits that weren't tested for unexplained reasons.

Prosecutor Ken Cotter says it is "premature to start casting blame" on his office or local police agencies for the problem. He says an investigation will determine who is at fault.

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Information from: South Bend Tribune, http://www.southbendtribune.com