Cumberland County Gets $2.5M Grant for 500 Sexual Assault Kits

The Cumberland County District Attorney's Office will use a $2.5 million federal grant to test approximately 500 untested sexual assault examination kits stored across the county's law enforcement departments.

District Attorney Jacqueline Sartoris announced the three-year award from the U.S. Department of Justice, secured with support from Senators Angus King and Susan Collins. The Cumberland County Sexual Assault Kit Initiative will transport the kits out of state for DNA testing.

The Maine State Police Crime Lab, Cumberland County Sheriff's Office, Sexual Assault Response Service of Southern Maine, and the Office of the Attorney General will coordinate the effort. The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners approved the grant on Dec. 9, 2024.

DNA testing can identify suspects and link cases across jurisdictions. The three-year timeline allows the county to process the backlog while maintaining testing capacity for new cases.