Sexual assault kit tracking system to be used across Oregon

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Portland Police Department has developed an online system to provide updates to people who have been tested for evidence of sexual assault.

The Oregonian/Oregon Live reported Tuesday that the online system has been used in Portland since May and the Oregon State Police plan to adopt it statewide by the end of July 2020.

Police say people can track sexual assault kits anonymously to determine if evidence obtained during a hospital visit was submitted to a crime lab for testing.

Authorities say the online system will not reveal the crime lab results, only whether the results were given to police.

The newspaper says the online system is a result of new state legislation that holds authorities accountable, in response to cases of police holding a backlog of untested kits.