A former New Orleans Police Department crime-scene technician said that during her four years with the force, she always did her best to collect evidence — every last fingerprint or casing — because “if this (victim) was me, I would want someone to go above and beyond.”

In May, 2021, when she was allegedly raped by Gerry Paul, a fellow NOPD police officer, her body became a crime scene. She submitted to a “traumatizing, painful and invasive” four-hour forensic exam in hopes that justice would prevail.

Her alleged rapist was booked on one count of second-degree rape soon after she made her complaint. But 15 months later, the woman said the criminal investigation has stalled.

Her DNA evidence was caught in a backlog of 73,000 untested rape kits at the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab. Between that and surging caseloads for NOPD sex crime unit detectives, it’s unclear how long it might take to procure the necessary DNA evidence to build a case that would allow prosecutors to bring it to trial.

“This case is a prime example of justice being delayed due to the backlog of forensic evidence in need of testing,” District Attorney Jason Williams said in an emailed statement.

Tanya Rawal, an advocate for survivors of sexual assault at the nonprofit Sexual Trauma Awareness & Response, said the woman’s story is a familiar one.

“There’s a story…