A UK company distributing DIY rape testing kits has sparked widespread criticism, but its founder argues the venture reflects deep-seated failures in the criminal justice system. Katie White set up Enough two years ago, offering self-swabbing kits that allow individuals who believe they have been raped or sexually assaulted to collect DNA evidence at home and send it to a private laboratory for analysis.
Alarming statistics on rape reporting and convictions
White was motivated by stark facts about sexual violence in England and Wales. In 2021-22, over 70,000 rapes were reported to police, yet only 2,223 resulted in charges. Moreover, an estimated 83% of survivors choose not to report to police at all. Crime survey data shows that 16- to 35-year-olds are the primary targets, with full-time students being the most likely occupation group to experience sexual assault.
According to White, the kits provide an option for survivors to gather evidence privately before deciding whether to visit a sexual assault referral centre (SARC) or contact police. She told the Guardian that students reacted positively when kits were distributed on campuses. However, institutional responses have been critical.
Criticism from victim support and police
Victim Support and several rape charities have strongly opposed self-swabbing, warning that it may be seen as an alternative to SARCs, which offer crucial support like counselling. The National Police Chiefs Council cautioned that the kits might reduce trust in statutory services and that evidence collected outside regulated environments may not be admissible in court.
White acknowledges these concerns but argues that survivors often avoid official channels due to a gruelling process with a low chance of conviction. She points to former Victims' Commissioner Vera Baird's 2018 statement that rape had been effectively decriminalised. “A startup trying to find a workaround is a signifier of the problem, not a problem in itself,” White said.
Advertising Standards Authority complaint
Martin Narey, former head of Prisons and Probation in England and Wales, reported Enough's online materials to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). One complaint targeted the claim “430,000 rapes happen a year,” which Narey said was frightening young women and their parents by exaggerating the likelihood of rape. Official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show 71,000 reported rapes, but these are only known cases. The ASA ruled against Enough, questioning its methodology for estimating total rapes.
White argues that exact numbers are impossible while so few rapes are reported. The ONS estimates about 900,000 sexual assaults and attempts against women annually, including 739,000 females and 162,000 males. “It is irrational to accuse Enough of scaremongering when the government’s statistics are this terrifyingly high,” she said.
Broader implications for trust in justice
The controversy highlights dwindling faith in the state’s ability to deliver justice. Zoe Williams, a Guardian columnist, writes that the only way to maintain a “zero tolerance” culture while tolerating nearly a million sexual assaults per year is through the fantasy that sexual violence isn’t real. This explains why many women do not report or access formal services.
Williams notes that despite promises to believe victims, a fifth of men and a quarter of Conservative voters think women routinely fabricate rape allegations. Male victims face even greater scepticism, with studies showing rape myths persist more strongly when the victim is male. The philosopher Manon Garcia, who attended the Gisèle Pelicot trial, observed how people distance rapists from their own circles: “People from Paris would say: ‘This is men from the south’; intellectuals would say: ‘These don’t look like guys who read many books.’”
Conclusion: Rape as a reality to confront
Williams concludes that the most useful work is to accept that rape itself is real. The existence of Enough serves as a concrete example of how the criminal justice system's inefficiencies have pushed survivors to seek alternative solutions. Rather than attacking the messenger, she argues, society should address the systemic failures that make such ventures necessary.
