Attorney General Lynn Fitch today issued a statement applauding passage of HB 485, a bill to improve the processing of sexual assault evidence kits, and HB 995, a bill to update the State’s sexual assault laws.
A sexual assault is a violation of the most intimate nature, robbing its victim of the deepest sense of privacy and harming them in ways that will haunt them for a lifetime. It is beyond time that Mississippi updated its rape laws and made achieving swift justice for them a top priority.
My office works at every step with victims of sexual assault and with the many organizations that help them become survivors of these crimes. We investigate and prosecute, train law enforcement and prosecutors on best practices, and work with advocacy groups and service providers, in addition to providing direct financial assistance through the Crime Victims Compensation program, to help victims put the pieces of their lives back together. It is our mission to put predators away and restore hope, peace, and dignity to their victims.
I applaud the Mississippi Legislature, and particularly the bills’ authors, Representatives Angela Cockerham and Dana McLean, for accomplishing these important updates to our rape laws during this legislative session. And we look forward to our new role under this legislation for improving Mississippi’s processing of the sexual assault evidence kits that are so critical to successful prosecution of these cases.
