Photo credit: Rape kit. (2025, January 17). In Wikipedia.
This article is adapted from an author interview on the National Public Radio show, Fresh Air, which aired on Jan. 16.
The story of the rape kit’s creation—a tool that revolutionized justice for sexual assault survivors—is one of persistent advocacy and overlooked credit. While the invention of the rape kit has long been attributed to Chicago police sergeant Louis Vitullo, recent investigations, including those by journalist Pagan Kennedy, a former contributing writer for the NY Times Sunday Review and a columnist for the NY Times Magazine, reveal that the true innovator was community activist Marty Goddard.
The rape kit, a groundbreaking tool for collecting evidence after sexual assaults, was developed by Goddard in the 1970s. Through extensive research and interviews, Goddard identified the need for a standardized process to preserve evidence, giving survivors a stronger voice in the justice system. Yet, to gain support from law enforcement and institutional leaders, Goddard named the kit after Vitullo, understanding that the endorsement of a man and a police department would bolster its credibility. “She was just really interested in getting it done,” Kennedy explains in her new book, The Secret History of the Rape Kit: A True Crime Story (narrated by actress Claire Danes in the audio version).
Goddard’s efforts were fueled by her work at a Chicago hotline for runaway teens, where she encountered numerous survivors of sexual abuse. Her innovative approach secured initial funding from the Playboy Foundation, an unconventional backer for such a project at the time. The funding was crucial in establishing a tool that not only supported survivors in court but also helped exonerate innocent individuals. From its inception, Goddard emphasized the importance of the kit in clearing falsely accused men, a benefit often overlooked in public discourse.
The rape kit’s introduction also addressed systemic biases in the courtroom. It allowed survivors to present corroborated evidence, reducing the skepticism they often faced. “There was a kind of theater element to showing the jury that you had collected evidence … very, very carefully,” Kennedy notes, emphasizing the kit’s role in changing perceptions of sexual assault cases.
Marty Goddard’s name, largely forgotten until recent years, underscores the challenges women often face in receiving credit for their contributions. Her persistence in addressing a sensitive societal problem offers a blueprint for creating meaningful change. As Kennedy reflects, “Her story tells us a lot about how change can be made in difficult times.”
Click here to listen to the 36-minute segment.
For information on rape kit legislation and reform, visit EndTheBacklog.org.
