WASHINGTON – She survived being raped and robbed at gunpoint in college, but the DNA samples collected after her rape sat unprocessed for nine years.
Now that woman is bringing her cause to D.C. to eliminate the backlog of unprocessed rape kits nationwide.
Natasha Alexenko says nearly a decade after her rape in New York City, the District Attorney’s office there tested all 17,000 backlogged rape kits and convicted the man responsible for her rape, along with many other criminals.
“I felt rather than being an anomaly I’d take my story and help others,” she says.
Alexenko started Natasha’s Justice Project in 2011, to track the backlog in states, build awareness and raise money to process biological evidence collected from rape victims, evidence that can identify a woman’s attacker.
“At present there are some estimates that 400,000 kits are sitting on shelves across the nation,” she says.
A comedy show at George Washington University Saturday night will help raise money to change that. Rob Maher will headline the even along with two other comedic performances. Alexenko will sit for a question and answer session afterward.
Student tickets are $10. Other tickets are $30.
Find more information about tickets here.