TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin on Wednesday announced a new directive and the launch of a statewide tracking system that allows sexual assault survivors to monitor the status of their Sexual Assault Forensic Exam (SAFE) Kits, marking a major step toward transparency and survivor empowerment.
Directive 2025-01 establishes policies for the implementation of the new system, which was developed with $2 million in competitive federal funds awarded in November 2023. The Division of Criminal Justice partnered with the Office of Justice Data and the Division of Violence Intervention and Victim Assistance to create the tool.
The tracking system allows survivors to access updates on their SAFE Kits confidentially, without needing to contact law enforcement or other intermediaries. Officials say the initiative is designed to reduce re-traumatization and put control back in the hands of survivors.
“Launching this tracking system is our latest step in supporting survivors, giving them the choice to stay abreast of their own SAFE Kits without having to go through intermediaries or risk re-traumatization through unwanted updates,” Platkin said. “We have changed the way law enforcement and prosecutors handle these cases.”
The tracking system builds on a series of reforms enacted in recent years to expand access to trauma-informed services. In early 2024, Governor Phil Murphy signed legislation (S715/A908) supporting the system. Earlier reforms mandated the retention of SAFE Kits for 20 years if the survivor is undecided about testing, and removed discretion from law enforcement in deciding whether to process kits.
Theresa L. Hilton, Director of the Division of Criminal Justice, emphasized the evidentiary value of the kits: “The evidence procured from SAFE Kits is often critical to prosecuting these cases, and we are committed to ensuring that survivors know we are doing everything in our power to hold perpetrators accountable.”
State officials described the tool as both a technological and cultural shift.
“No survivor who has gone through the process of a sexual assault forensic medical exam needs to worry that their kit is ‘lost’ or unaccounted for,” said Patricia Teffenhart, Executive Director of VIVA. “With this system, we are treating these critical kits with the care survivors deserve.”
The SAFE Kit tracking system and its supporting directives are part of a broader effort by the Office of the Attorney General to promote a trauma-informed, victim-centered approach to sexual assault investigations and prosecutions across New Jersey.
