Natasha Alexenko | |
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| Born | Natasha Simone Alexenko (1973-02-28)February 28, 1973 West Islip, New York, U.S. |
| Died | October 31, 2024(2024-10-31) (aged 51) West Islip, New York, U.S. |
| Education | New York Institute of Technology |
| Years active | 2011–2024 |
| Known for | Natasha's Justice Project |
Natasha Simone Alexenko (February 28, 1973 – October 31, 2024) was an American-Canadian crime victim advocate and nonprofit founder who worked to address the backlog of untestedrape kits in the United States. She was the founder ofNatasha's Justice Project and contributed to legislative reforms related toforensic evidence processing. Alexenko was previously the director of theLong Island Maritime Museum.
Natasha Simone Alexenko was born on February 28, 1973, inWest Islip, New York, and raised inSt. Catharines,Ontario.[1][2] Her mother, Nevart Mnatzaganian-Alexenko, was adietitian.[1] Her father, Victor Alexenko, worked as adrug counselor but had asubstance abuse problem and died of anoverdose when she was nine years old. She had a sister.[1]
Alexenko attended theNew York Institute of Technology, where she studiedfilmmaking.[1][2] While living inManhattan as a student, she wassexually assaulted on August 6, 1993.[1][2] The experience of undergoing aforensic medical examination after the assault had a profound impact on her, as she later recounted that the process of evidence collection was invasive and traumatic.[3][2]
After her assault, Alexenko’srape kit remained untested for nearly a decade.[1][3] In 2003, she was informed by theNew York County District Attorney's office that her kit was part of a backlog of approximately 17,000 untested rape kits inNew York City.[1][3][2] Her kit was tested shortly before thestatute of limitations for her case was due to expire, leading to an indictment against her attacker based on his DNA.[1][3][2]
Victor Rondon, her assailant, was identified through his DNA in 2007 after being arrested for parole violations in Nevada. His DNA matched evidence from Alexenko’s rape kit.[1][3][2] Rondon was extradited toNew York, where he was tried and convicted in 2008 on charges includingrape,sodomy, burglary, andsexual abuse. He was sentenced to 44 to 107 years in prison.[1][3][2]
Hearing about other survivors’ experiences motivated Alexenko to leave her position as the director of theLong Island Maritime Museum, to pursue advocacy full-time.[1][3] In 2011, she foundedNatasha's Justice Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating for the timely testing of rape kits and supporting survivors of sexual assault.[1][3]
Her advocacy efforts included frequent testimony beforestate legislatures and theU.S. Congress. She contributed to legislative efforts in states likeCalifornia,Nevada, andVirginia to pass laws mandating the testing of rape kits within specific timeframes.[1][3] In Virginia, she collaborated with legislators, including state senatorRichard Black, to pass a 2016 law addressing the backlog of untested rape kits.[1]
Alexenko’s work was also featured in media outlets. She participated in the HBO documentarySex Crimes Unit in 2011, which highlighted the New York District Attorney’s office, and she co-hosted events such as a 2015press conference with vice presidentJoe Biden and New York district attorneyCyrus Vance Jr. announcingfederal grants to help reduce the rape kit backlog.[1][3] She authored a memoir in 2018,A Survivor’s Journey: From Victim to Advocate, in which she detailed her experiences and advocacy work.[1][3]
Alexenko was married to Scott Sessa and lived in West Islip, New York, in her later years.[1] She died due to complications fromamyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) andmultiple sclerosis (MS) in West Islip, on October 31, 2024, at the age of 51.[1]