2023 Code of Virginia › Title 19.2 - Criminal Procedure › Chapter 1.2 - Physical Evidence Recovery Kits and Trace Evidence Collection Kits › § 19.2-11.11. Victim's right to notification of scientific analysis information

A. In addition to the rights provided under Chapter 1.1 (§ 19.2-11.01 et seq.), a victim of sexual assault, a parent or guardian of a victim of a sexual assault who was a minor at the time of the offense, or the next of kin of a deceased victim of sexual assault shall have the right to request and receive information from the law-enforcement agency regarding (i) the submission of any physical evidence recovery kit for forensic analysis that was collected from the victim during the investigation of the offense; (ii) the status of any analysis being performed on any evidence that was collected during the investigation of the offense; (iii) the results of any analysis; and (iv) the time frame for how long the kit will be held in storage and the victim's rights regarding such storage, unless disclosing this information would interfere with the investigation or prosecution of the offense, in which case the victim, parent, guardian, or next of kin shall be informed of the estimated date on which the information may be disclosed, if known. The law-enforcement agency shall inform the victim, parent, guardian, or next of kin of the unique identification number assigned to the physical evidence recovery kit utilized by the health care provider and the personal identification number required to view the status of the physical evidence recovery kit and shall provide information regarding the Physical Evidence Recovery Kit Tracking System, unless disclosing this information would interfere with the investigation or prosecution of the offense, in which case the victim, parent, guardian, or next of kin shall be informed of the estimated date on which the information may be disclosed, if known.
B. In the case of a physical evidence recovery kit that was received by a law-enforcement agency prior to July 1, 2016, and that has subsequently been submitted for analysis, the victim, a parent or guardian of a minor victim, or the next of kin of a deceased victim shall be notified by the law-enforcement agency of the completion of the analysis and shall, upon request, receive information from the law-enforcement agency regarding the results of any analysis, unless disclosing this information would interfere with the investigation or prosecution of the offense, in which case the victim, parent, guardian, or next of kin shall be informed of the estimated date on which the information may be disclosed, if known. A good faith attempt to locate the victim, a parent or guardian of a minor victim, or the next of kin of a deceased victim shall be made if a current address for the victim, a parent or guardian of a minor victim, or the next of kin of a deceased victim is unavailable.
C. The victim, parent, guardian, or next of kin who requests to be notified under subsection A shall provide a current address and telephone number to the attorney for the Commonwealth and to the law-enforcement agency that is investigating the offense and keep such information updated.
The victim, parent, guardian, or next of kin who requests to be notified under subsection B may provide a current address and telephone number to the attorney for the Commonwealth and to the law-enforcement agency that is investigating the offense and keep such information updated.
D. Nothing contained in this section shall require a law-enforcement agency to disclose any information regarding the results of any analysis to a parent or guardian of a minor victim or to the next of kin of a deceased victim if such parent, guardian, or next of kin is the alleged perpetrator of the offense.
2016, cc. 332, 698; 2017, cc. 535, 672; 2022, cc. 453, 454.