Rape kits were widely known as "Vitullo Kits" after a Chicago police sergeant. But a new book tells the story of Marty Goddard, a community activist who worked with runaway teenagers in the 1970s. Also, TV critic David Bianculli reviews the Western miniseries American Primeval, now streaming on Netflix.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
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This is Fresh Air. I'm Tanya Mosley. And before we get started, a warning that on today's show, we will be talking about rape and sexual assault. Five years ago, if you Googled who invented the rape kit, that's a package of items that medical professionals use to gather evidence after a sexual assault, the name Louis Vitulo would come up first.
He was a Chicago police sergeant who in the 70s was credited with creating what would go on to become the standard for investigating rape and sexual assault. And for a time, it was even called the Vitulo Evidence Collection Kit. But investigative reporter Pagan Kennedy's new book wants to set the story straight.
While Petullo, she writes, was instrumental in getting Chicago police to use the kits, it was a woman who volunteered at a crisis hotline for runaway kids that was the mastermind behind the idea. Her name was Marty Goddard, an activist who preferred to be in the background as she advocated for the young runaways, many of whom she discovered were sexual assault victims.
How and why did Petullo, a sergeant from one of the nation's most corrupt police agencies at the time... a department under investigation for troubling patterns of violent behavior and excessive force, become the poster child for ushering in a new era of understanding of sexual assault and rape.
Pagan-Kennedy's book, The Secret History of the Rape Kid, A True Crime Story, sheds light on Marty Goddard's contributions and explores the broader issue of gender discrimination and the treatment of sexual assault victims. Kennedy is the author of several books, and her writing has appeared in dozens of publications.
And she's worked as a columnist for The New York Times Magazine, The Boston Globe Magazine, and The Village Voice. Pegyn Kennedy, welcome to Fresh Air. And thank you for this book. It really is a fascinating read.
Oh, thank you so much for having me on.
I want to know first how you came to learn about Marty Goddard.
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