The Ministry of Justice headed by Pilar Llop has distributed, at the Institutes of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences (IMLCF) throughout Spain, the second batch with 1,000 kits for use in the investigation of sexual assaults on suspicion of chemical submission.
The acting Minister of Justice has stressed that this second batch of kits ratifies the Ministry’s commitment to “advance the fight against male violence and provide a practical forensic tool available, accessible and of quality in the investigation of crimes of sexual assault.”
Justice already sent in February 2022 a consignment with another 1,000 kits that were distributed to the 34 IMLCFs existing in Spain, as well as to the 12 that act in the territory.
Three kits developed by the Ministry of Justice
With this new remittance, the Ministry of Justice, through the National Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences (INTCF), has developed, between 2002 and 2023, three different kits for the collection of samples in crimes of sexual assault that include technological advances to improve forensic standardization, the quality and effectiveness of sampling.
The first of the kits is for the collection of biological traces of the victim's body; the second, for the collection of samples of oral mucosa (victim and/or person under investigation); and the third, for the collection of samples for toxicological analysis in crimes facilitated by psychoactive substances.
The first two kits include systems accredited under ISO 18.385 for the collection of biological samples, free of contamination, for DNA identification purposes. These kits are produced by the Spanish company FHP according to the specifications established by INTCF.
The third is a kit for the collection of samples for toxicological analysis in crimes facilitated by psychoactive substances. This kit contains all the components for the collection and shipment of blood and urine samples applicable in the investigation of sexual assaults under suspicion of chemical submission. This kit is produced by the Spanish company PROQUILAB SA, according to the specifications established by the INTCF.