I Am Evidence

Turn your outrage into action
HBO Documentary Films
HOST A SCREENING
Bring the film to your local theater or community.
LICENSES AVAILABLE NOW.
“I Am Evidence” is a searing, lucid film that never shies from tough details, especially when survivors share their attacks in a powerful bearing of witness. The film is also a legal thriller focusing on three American cities — Detroit, Cleveland and Los Angeles — grappling with tens of thousands of untested rape kits."
LA Times Review
About the Film
I AM EVIDENCE tells the story of four survivors whose rape kits went untested for years, following them as they navigate their way through the criminal justice system and learn that so often, the system is broken. The film reveals the historic nature of the way we treat the crime of sexual assault in this country, and the positive effects that occur when perpetrators are held accountable and survivors are given an opportunity for healing and justice. I AM EVIDENCE has won the audience award for Best Documentary Film at both the Provincetown and Traverse City Film Festivals.
What is the backlog?
Despite the power of DNA to solve and prevent crimes, hundreds of thousands of rape kits—containing potentially crucial DNA evidence—languish untested in police storage rooms across the country. Each of these rape kits represents a survivor who is still waiting for justice.
Hundreds of thousands of untested rape kits are being uncovered across the country
New York City
17,000
Uncovered 2003
Los Angeles
12,669
Uncovered 2009
Detroit
11,304
Uncovered 2009
Houston
6,663
Uncovered 2009
Cleveland
5,000
Uncovered 2011
Tulsa
3,783
Uncovered 2011
Phoenix
2,996
Uncovered 2012
Memphis
12,164
Uncovered 2013
Dallas
4,140
Uncovered 2013
Las Vegas
4,385
Uncovered 2014
Milwaukee
2,658
Uncovered 2014
Charlotte
1,109
Uncovered 2014
Indianapolis
5,006
Uncovered 2015
San Diego
2,873
Uncovered 2015
Portland, OR
1,931
Uncovered 2015
Kansas City
1,324
Uncovered 2015
Duluth
578
Uncovered 2015
Wichita
1,125
Uncovered 2015
Virginia Beach
455
Uncovered 2015
Albuquerque
3,948
Uncovered 2016
Atlanta
2,000
Uncovered 2016
Anchorage
1,691
Uncovered 2016
Honolulu
1,375
Uncovered 2016
Des Moines
877
Uncovered 2016
"To me, the rape kit backlog is one of the clearest and most shocking demonstrations of how we regard these crimes in our society. Testing rape kits sends a fundamental and crucial message to victims of sexual violence: you matter. What happened to you matters. Your case matters."
Mariska Hargitay
Producer, I AM EVIDENCE
Founder & President, Joyful Heart Foundation
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy and Mariska Hargitay outside a Detroit warehouse where over 11,000 kits were stored.
Join the Movement

Resources

Join

YES, I pledge to end the backlog.

Count Me In

Act

YES, I want my voice heard.

Advocate

Give

YES, I want to support this work.

Donate