District attorney Chesa Boudin said the charges violated constitutional protections against unreasonable searches and seizures
Highlights
- District attorney Chesa Boudin drops charges against a woman whose DNA collected from a rape kit was used to link her to a property crime.
- Officials said the practice violated the defendants’ fourth amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures by the government, and runs afoul of California’s Victims’ Bill of Rights.
- The district attorney also expressed concerns the practice would deter victims of sexual assault, which is widely underreported in the US, from coming forward.
- It is unclear whether any other sexual assault victims have been arrested for later crimes based on evidence submitted in a rape exam.
- The police chief said he asked the assistant chief for operations to thoroughly review the matter.