Fri, May 16, 2008 (2:06 a.m.)

A new federal requirement will allow rape victims who are afraid of filing a police report to undergo anonymous rape exams in hospital emergency rooms and have the evidence sealed and kept on file in case the victims decide to report the crimes later.

The new federal mandate, which goes into effect next year, is one that FBI and rape victim advocates have sought for almost a decade, the Associated Press reports.

Many victims are so traumatized by a rape they are afraid to immediately report it to police. Crucial physical evidence is lost when victims wait days or weeks to call police — if they report it at all, law enforcement officials and advocates told the AP.

The “Jane Doe rape kits” allow medical personnel to collect forensic evidence and file it away under a number, rather than the victim’s name. If the victim decides to file a police report, the evidence file is opened. If not, it is disposed of after a predetermined period of time.

The anonymous testing is not an option for cases of incest and sexual assaults involving children. Those crimes still must be immediately reported to police.

States will have to pay for the rape kits to continue receiving federal Violence Against Women Act funding for women’s shelters and law enforcement training. However, states will be allowed to determine how long the evidence will be kept on file and the locations for the tests.

Massachusetts already offers the testing, as do many hospitals and health clinics across the country, the AP reports. Still, many state and local jurisdictions require women to file a police report in order to be tested.

U.S. Justice Department figures say that 41 percent of the nation’s rapes go unreported. Offering these anonymous tests is an important step toward giving victims the courage — and the evidence — to allow police to pursue their attackers.