Sheriff Jim Fryhoff and District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced today the launch of a new website for the Ventura County Sexual Assault Kit Initiative. At VCSAKI.com the public can learn about this important initiative and track the multi-agency effort to test untested sexual assault kits. The site also provides victims with the ability to contact a member of the District Attorney’s Office who can assist them in determining the status of their own sexual assault kit or obtain resources vital to their healing process.
The Ventura County Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (VCSAKI) is a countywide initiative to submit every untested sexual assault kit for DNA testing, investigate unsolved sexual assault cases, and prosecute offenders. In December 2021, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, Forensic Services Bureau was awarded a $2.5 million grant from the United States Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance to support this effort. The Sheriff and District Attorney’s Offices are joined in this effort by every local law enforcement agency in the county, the Ventura County Health Care Agency, and the Coalition for Family Harmony.
Local law enforcement agencies and the Sheriff’s Forensic Services Bureau are in the final stages of inventorying all untested sexual assault kits which includes reviewing police reports and other records related to those crimes. When the inventory is complete, the VCSAKI partners anticipate submitting approximately 3,000 untested sexual assault kits for testing.
“Testing approximately 3,000 sexual assault kits dating back to the late 1970’s is a daunting task, but we owe it to the victims of these heinous crimes to do everything we can to attempt to hold their offenders accountable,” said Sheriff Fryhoff.
“Testing each and every kit is the right thing to do,” said District Attorney Erik Nasarenko. “It promotes public trust between law enforcement and the victims we serve, and it marks a significant step forward in our commitment to seeking long-awaited justice for survivors of sexual assault.”