I didn’t talk about it for a long time. There was nothing to talk about. I didn’t know the man who raped me, and I had to move on. That is, until I got a phone call from the Lake Charles Police Department 20 years later.

When I was 20 years old, a stranger hid in the back of my car, threatened me with a knife, and raped me. I didn’t find out the results of my rape kit until just before my 40th birthday.

I took all the right steps. I reported the crime. I requested a rape kit. I endured the long, invasive forensic exam where DNA evidence was collected from my body by a local family doctor. I even applied for support through the Crime Victims Fund, established by the Victims of Crime Act. Along the way there were more questions than answers. There was retraumatization, rather than healing. There was doubt. In part because my rape kit wasn’t tested, it was decided that there wasn’t enough evidence to successfully prosecute.

It was considered a cold case, re-opened by a retiring detective who hoped to tie loose ends before rounding out her career. The DNA from my kit was matched to Darwin Hutchinson. He was already in prison, convicted of raping another woman seven years after he assaulted me. He eventually pleaded guilty to the charges.

DNA evidence has the potential to help convict guilty perpetrators like Hutchinson, but only if there are funds, training, and and accountability measures to ensure rape kits can be tested. The backlog of untested DNA is a public safety risk. Had my kit been tested, there’s a chance Hutchinson could have been convicted sooner, and another victim could have been spared the same pain I was forced to endure.

We are on the right track—but we need to do more to achieve justice for survivors of sexual violence. The Justice for All Reauthorization Act of 2016 expands and maintains the good work lawmakers are doing today, like allocating funds to audit and test rape kits. It also focuses on providing necessary services for survivors—services that I wish I had access to 20 years ago. Provisions of the Justice for All Reauthorization Act of 2016 include:

• Directing more money towards testing rape kits 
• Renewing a program that provides post-conviction DNA testing
• Renewing programs that provide legal assistance and notifications to victims
• Clarifying current laws to make clear that services for victims are an appropriate use of funding under the Victims of Crime Act

I was quiet for 20 years, but I cannot afford to stay silent today. The Justice for All Reauthorization Act of 2016 is a critical step in helping survivors of sexual violence achieve the justice they deserve. Join me in supporting this important legislation.

If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual violence, it’s not your fault. You are not alone. Help is available 24/7 through the National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800.656.HOPE and online.rainn.org, y en español: rainn.org/es.