Wisconsin received millions to test rape kits. Only 10 offenders have been convicted.

Wisconsin has received $9.5 million in federal grants since 2015 to test and clear a backlog of rape kits and improve notifications and services for survivors.

A primary goal of the program, known as the National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative, was to hold offenders accountable.

But a USA TODAY investigation found that rarely happens .

The country's rape kit backlog first burst into public view more than a decade ago. One study estimated there were between 300,000 and 400,000 untested kits in the U.S.

The kits hold evidence of a reported sexual assault. A trained nurse conducts the hours-long, invasive exam and collects evidence from a victim, such as dried swabs of saliva, semen, and blood. Then, the evidence can be tested for DNA.

Federal grants were supposed to help test the kits, give victims answers and identify serial predators.

In Wisconsin, only 10 people have been convicted of sex offenses as a result of the rape kit initiative, according to the USA TODAY report.

Here are other key findings from the investigation :

More than 2,300 rape kits in Wisconsin were not tested, even with federal grant money

As of 2023, Wisconsin's Department of Justice had 6,841 sexual assault kits inventoried.

Agents designated 4,475 kits for testing.

Those other 2,300-some kits were not tested because the victim did not consent to testing, or the case already had charges, the Wisconsin Department of Justice told USA TODAY.

America tested 100,000 forgotten rape kits. But justice remains elusive.

More than 1,500 rape kit tests led to further investigation in the state

Of those kits that were tested, more than 1,500 were associated with further investigation.

More than 600 kits had a hit in the national CODIS database , meaning the DNA collected in the kit was linked to a known offender or suspect whose DNA was on file because of a past conviction.

State agents referred 48 cold cases cases to county prosecutors

The Wisconsin Department of Justice said agents referred 48 cases from the testing project to local prosecutors for charges.

But prosecutors only filed charges in 23 of those cases. So far, 10 have ended in convictions.

They include three convictions in Dane County, one in Kenosha County, one in Jackson County, two in Milwaukee County, one in Oneida County, one in Rock County and one in Waupaca County.

Only 105 victims contacted out of more than 4,400 kits sent for testing

In Wisconsin, officials say they have contacted just 105 people out of the 4,475 kits sent for testing, about 2%.

Victim notification is particularly sensitive when testing years-old kits. For one person, it could be re-traumatizing. For another, it could provide a measure of closure.

USA TODAY examined victim notification rates for 14 agencies with early grants and the most complete notification statistics, comparing the number of victims contacted to kits sent for testing. The ratio does not take into account that some victims may have had more than one kit in the backlog.

In both Wisconsin and Orange County, California, officials reached one person for every 43 kits sent for testing. This was the lowest in the USA TODAY sample. Some sites contacted half of the survivors about kits sent for testing.

BEHIND THE DATA: Feds committed $350M to tackle rape kit backlog. The program's progress has been rocky.

Wisconsin now has a system for victims to track the progress of kits

In June 2022, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul announced a new system for tracking sexual assault kits .

The system allows victims to log into a database using a barcode, without any personal identifying information, to view the status of the kit as it moves from a hospital to law enforcement and crime lab testing.

The tracking system was a result of state legislation .

Wisconsin officials said more than 250 individuals have used the system.

Problems span administrations regardless of political party

Untested sexual assault kits, and how they are handled, have been the subject of political campaigns in Wisconsin for a decade.

The state attorney general leads the Wisconsin Department of Justice, which operates the state's crime labs where analysts test the kits for DNA. The attorney general also is considered the top law enforcement official in the state.

Attorney General Josh Kaul, a Democrat, made untested kits a campaign issue when he first ran for the office in 2018 against then-Attorney Brad Schimel, a Republican. Kaul then faced criticism on DNA processing times from Republicans when he was running for re-election.

Even with DNA evidence, these sexual assault cases continue to face obstacles

Across the country, the USA TODAY investigation found cases hit the same roadblocks they did when victims first came forward:

By the U.S. Department of Justice's count, the program has led to 100,000 kits being tested and 1,500 convictions so far. That's after the department doled out nearly $350 million in grants to 90 local and state agencies since 2015.

Where to find help

The National Sexual Assault Hotline can be reached 1-800-656-4673.

Advocate Aurora Health's Healing and Advocacy Services for sexual assault survivors includes a 24-hour hotline at 414-219-5555 and a confidential text line 414-219-1551. A list of other local resources is available here .