Hawaiʻi Attorney General Warns Against At-Home Rape Kits

Attorney General Clare E. Connors, along with multiple organizations and universities, are urging the public to avoid purchasing and distributing MeToo kits. 

According to a press release from the attorney general, these devices are being marketed as the first at-home rape kits designed for sexual assault victims to self-collect evidence outside of a medical facility. 

“What this company fails to tell you is that in Hawaiʻi, a forensic exam is provided at no cost to sexual assault victims, by a health care professional, with advocates who will help the victim understand the exam and criminal justice process,” Attorney General Connors said in the release. 

Connors also explained that trained sexual assault forensic examiners and nurses work dilligently to minimize victim retraumatization, address the needs of victims, and ensure that the evidence collected can be used for prosecution purposes. 

The MeToo Kit Company website states that their kits will be provided to select universities and eventually offered for sale to individuals. 

In a statement, the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence advised the public not to use an at-home rape kit as an alternative to a forensic examination. 

“Me Too Kit has provided no information to explain how these kits will be admissible in court and how the proper chain of custody will be followed,” the statement read in the release. 

The Hawaiʻi Department of the Attorney General plans to follow the issue closely to determine if additional actions are needed.

If you are a victim of sexual assault, call 911 and the sexual assault service provider in your area:

• Oʻahu: Kapiʻolani Medical Center for Women & Children, The Sex Abuse Treatment Center 24-hour hotline at (808) 524-7273. 
• Kauaʻi: YWCA of Kauaʻi, Sexual Abuse Treatment Program 24-hour hotline at 808-245-4144.
• Maui: Child and Family Service, Maui Sexual Assault Center 24-hour hotline at (808) 873-8624. 
• Hawaiʻi Island: YWCA of Hawaiʻi Island, Sexual Assault Support Services 24-hour hotline at (808)-935-0677. 

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