Albuquerque launches new hotline for assault victims

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) - As the state works through its rape kit backlog, the city of Albuquerque is launching a new tool to help victims stay informed about their cases.

The "Sexual Assault Information Hotline" is available to people across the state, giving survivors a way to check on the testing status of their rape kits.

Mayor Tim Keller says it will help victims feel more involved in their cases and keep law enforcement accountable.

"We talk a lot about the notion of a backlog in an accounting or finance frame, but we have to remember that each one of those kits is a story, it's a person," said Keller.

Authorities have said that the state's untested kits largely come from old cases where the victim declined prosecution or it was not needed to prosecute the case.

However, getting offenders DNA into the nationwide database is still valuable for law enforcement.

The mayor's goal is to clear the entire backlog by the end of 2020.