![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/madisoncountycourier.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Attorney-General-Letitia-James.jpg?resize=200%2C300&ssl=1\")
Attorney General Letitia James orders sexual assault evidence kit companies to cease and desist operations\u00a0 <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Attorney General Letitia James announced that she directed\nMeToo Kits Company and Preserve Group to \u2018cease and desist\u2019 selling at-home\nsexual assault evidence kits. These kits have raised widespread concern due to\ntheir marketing as an alternative to seeking professional medical care and\nbecause of the companies\u2019 implied representation that the evidence collected by\nthese kits would be admissible in court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By law, New York state provides sexual assault exams and\nevidence collection at no charge to survivors, and it is misleading for a\ncompany to profit from selling these kits when an above-board service is\nprovided free of charge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Additionally, the collection of evidence in sexual assault\ncases is of crucial importance, and there are concerns about the quality of the\nevidence collected by these kits and whether they would be admissible in court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSexual assault is a real problem that demands a real\nresponse,\u201d said James. \u201cProper medical attention and accurate evidence\ncollection are of critical importance to supporting survivors. I am deeply\nconcerned about companies selling kits that deter individuals from seeking\nprofessional care and purport to collect evidence without knowing whether the\nevidence will be admissible in court. We must ensure that all survivors of\nsexual assault are not misled and that justice is served.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n