Web portal created for sex assaults

Victims can track cases through a county site

Sexual assault victims in Allegheny County can now track progress on their cases in real time.

Launched Wednesday, the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative, or SAKI, is a web portal that connects sexual assault victims to a case liaison who will identify their needs and support them in cooperation with victim advocacy groups and law enforcement.

Victims who have submitted a sexual assault kit can also receive updates on its status through the portal within 10 business days.

County officials said this excludes kits submitted anonymously or collected after July 2015 with no consent for testing. Victim advocacy groups can provide updates on anonymous kits.

“We’re proud to be a part of any program aimed at supporting those who have gone through such traumatic experiences,” Allegheny County Police Superintendent Christopher Kearns said.

The new initiative stems from a collaboration among county police, the county Medical Examiner’s Office, and victim advocacy groups Pittsburgh Action Against Rape and the Center for Victims. It’s paid for in part by the U.S.

Bureau of Justice Assistance, which allocated funds to help launch SAKI in 2019.

“We are pleased to see this portal come to fruition, which will help streamline sexual assault victims’ access to information,” said Dr. Ariel Goldschmidt, the county’s chief medical examiner.

Officials said it was developed through community conversations that identified a need to

enhance community and survivor outreach programs.

“Allowing victims to access case information on their terms will keep critical lines of communication open with both law enforcement and advocates for victims of sexual assault,” Supt. Kearns said.

It also comes at the end of National Sex Assault Awareness Month, which honors survivors and brings awareness to the significant impact sexual violence has in communities, according to the Pennsylvania state website.

There were 107 rapes reported to Pittsburgh police in 2022 — the most recent data publicly available — an increase from the 90 incidents reported the previous year.

“There couldn’t be a more appropriate time to launch this portal for victims to pursue information about their cases,” county Executive Sara Innamorato said. “Building a county for all includes providing services for victims looking for compassion and support.”