In the mid-20th century, an innovator named Martha Goddard came up with an invention that one would never wish to employ – a sexual assault evidence collection set, or more familiarly, the ‘rape kit.’ This deceivingly modest instrument is comprised of a small box, potentially fabricated from cardboard, which houses several essential components such as sterile tweezers for nail clippings, cotton wool sticks, glass slides for capturing bodily secretions, paper sacks, and a diminutive plastic hair comb. The primary function of this invention was to enable the collection and preservation of physical evidence from an individual who has reported a sexual assault, reinforcing standardization in rape investigations where no such procedural standards existed before.
Goddard’s kit, with its potential for valid courtroom use, imparts tangible confirmations that relieve juries from the reliance on verbal testimonies alone. This facilitates a more credible prosecution process while safeguarding the unjustly accused. Interestingly, the credit for this significant breakthrough, despite being attributable to Martha ‘Marty’ Goddard, was subtly passed on to a male collaborator in line with her broader objective of enhancing empowerment amongst the survivor community.
The nuanced tale of Martha Goddard and her simplified evidence collection box also outlines a significant societal transition. Around 1974, she was a 30-something single mother employed by a charitable group in Chicago. Their mission was to allocate funds from a local family-owned store to assist the city’s less privileged citizens.
During a discourse with the District Attorney of the state, Bernard Carey, they explored the key deficits of the extant system for collecting sexual assault evidence. The existing system, they found, was inherently dysfunctional and disorganized, thereby inspiring Goddard’s subsequent invention of the sexual assault evidence collection kit.
At the time, Goddard lacked formal expertise in forensic analysis, leading to the shared credit for the kit’s creation with other collaborators, notably Sergeant Vitullo among them. The kit’s usage in various medical institutions across Chicago further established Goddard as the co-inventor.
Martha Goddard was instrumental in the inception of a comprehensive training program associated with the kit. Regrettably, despite its inherent importance, numerous such kits remain unused and forgotten in various locations throughout the country, illuminating a concerning issue even today.
The final chapter of Martha Goddard’s life was marred by the challenges of alcohol dependence, unpredictable conduct, and the diagnosis of dementia coupled with manic depression. Yet, despite these hurdles, she has left an indelible impression and extraordinary heritage.
Goddard’s invention— the rape kit, directly influenced public perceptions about survivors of sexual assault. Instead of being seen as potential fabricators, survivors were now viewed as crucial witnesses, whose bodies could possibly disclose factual proof of a heinous violent crime.