Boston-
Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr
(R-Gloucester) released the following statement today after Governor Charlie
Baker signed H. 4364,
“An Act relative to the preservation of evidence for victims of rape and sexual
assault,” into law. Tarr worked with Senator Cynthia Creem (D-Newton), to amend
the bill to require that all presently held physical evidence of rape and
sexual assault is held for the entire duration of the statute of limitations,
and to cause a plan to be developed for the state to store all such evidence in
a central facility:
The signing of H.4364
today by Governor Baker is an important step in strengthening our criminal
justice system. The power of DNA and other physical evidence is indisputable,
and it should be preserved and protected so that it is available when justice
demands it. Now the prosecution of these crimes can be driven by what is in the
best interests of fairness and justice, and not arbitrary timelines or the
chance evidence could be lost forever.
Through the passage of
this law victims can focus on recovery and not continuing requests for the
preservation of evidence every six months. Now action to prosecute can be taken
when they are ready to deal with the judicial system, knowing that evidence
hasn’t been lost or destroyed.
Now, too, our state can
begin the process of developing a centralized system with the capacity to
preserve all of the evidence in a safe and secure manner, eliminating any
issues around preservation or the chain of custody.
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