America's rape kit backlog was a national scandal. A decade later, problems persist.

A decade ago, a Paste BN investigation helped reveal the national backlog of rape kits.

Evidence from thousands of sexual assaults had been left to sit – untested – in law enforcement storage. In time, the backlog grew to hundreds of thousands of kits. 

Since 2015, a federal program aimed at addressing the backlog has doled out nearly $350 million to states and local jurisdictions. Officials promised the money would put rapists behind bars and give victims long-awaited answers. 

But in many of those cases, justice remains elusive, a new Paste BN investigation has found.

'Victims deserve to know': Untested rape kits in Wichita

In Wichita, Kansas, officials set out to clear a backlog of untested rape kits and give victims answers. Years later, many are still waiting. This video was updated to add new information.

The team behind the project

Reporting and analysis: Tricia L. Nadolny, Nick Penzenstadler, Jayme Fraser, Gina Barton, Dian Zhang, Savannah Kuchar, Lee Rood

Editing: Amy Pyle, Doug Caruso, Josh Susong

Illustrations: Ariana Torrey 

Design and art direction: Andrea Brunty

Graphics: Ramon Padilla, Javier Zarracina, Carlie Procell, Shawn J. Sullivan

Photography: Matthew Dae Smith, Abigail Dollins, Bryan Terry, Max Correa, Romain Blanquart, Megan Smith, Aaron Martinez, Eva Marie Uzcategui, Jasper Colt

Photo editing: Camille Fine

Videography: Jasper Colt, Megan Smith, Lamar Salter

Audience editing and SEO: Nikol Mudrova, Sydney Bergan, Alan Nguyen, Ashley Lewis, Jessica Hilo, Tim Gardner