world
MP Says Company Threatened Legal Action Over Self-Swab Rape Kit
Conservative MP Alicia Kearns told Parliament that a woman received legal threats after questioning claims made by Enough, a company selling self-swab kits for sexual assault evidence collection. The MP also cited statements from the National Police Chiefs’ Council warning against the kits.
The IndependentAudio version
Tap play to generate a narrated version.
Conservative MP Alicia Kearns told the House of Commons that a woman received letters threatening legal action after she posted concerns about Enough, a company that sells self-swab kits for collecting evidence after sexual assault. Kearns said the woman was warned of damage to her “personal reputation … career prospects … and future opportunities” if she continued posting about the company on social media.
She added that Enough later instructed a law firm to send a cease-and-desist letter.
Enough describes its products as the “breathalyser of rape” and states on its website that the kits can, in principle, be admissible in court. The company also claims the National Police Chiefs’ Council has instructed police to use the kits where available.
In March the policing body issued a statement warning that the kits “can create false expectations, lead to re-traumatisation and reduce trust in statutory services,” according to Chief Constable Sarah Crew, the NPCC’s lead for adult sexual offences.
Kearns said a kit had already caused a rape trial to collapse because it prevented proper evidence collection and DNA comparison with police records. She called on the Government to ban the kits and to introduce legislation against Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation.
A spokesperson for Enough said the company “categorically” rejects allegations that it misleads women and stated that its information is clear about what the kits are and are not. The company added that it does not replace sexual assault referral centres or police services.
