Minneapolis officials discover 1,700 untested rape kits

Minneapolis officials say they have discovered the city has roughly 1,700 rape kits that have never been tested, with some dating back 30 years.

The number revealed Friday is nearly nine times more than the 194 untested kits the city disclosed it had in 2015.

Deputy Police Chief Erick Fors says the untested kits were discovered in July when the department was doing an inventory. He estimates it will likely take two years to get them tested.

Chief Medaria Arradondo told reporters there’s no explanation for the discrepancy in numbers, but there was a failure in auditing and processing that is unacceptable. He vowed to work with department agencies and advocates to ensure the kit are tested and victims are notified in a compassionate way.