Richard Park and Bella Okiddy, former Brown University classmates, are developing technology designed to empower survivors of sexual assault and rape.
The duo in May founded Tech Against Assault, a Providence benefit corporation, and is making a rape kit capable of providing preliminary forensic analysis during an examination. This improves on a process that’s currently drawn-out, happens outside medical centers in forensic labs and leaves potential victims wondering what happened.
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Park says giving patients this type of information would allow them to make better-informed decisions moving forward on legal, medical or other issues.
“The idea is that we want survivors to leave the hospitals no longer in the dark,” Park said.
Park and Okiddy are currently working with survivors, hospitals, advocates and law enforcement to ensure the kits provide information that’s sensitive to all parties involved in instances of potential sexual assault and rape. The duo plans to pilot programs in three states by the end of 2018. •
