After a News & Observer report in February noted that many of the 3,000 patients examined for rape in North Carolina hospitals last year were saddled with some part of the bills for the exams, the General Assembly acted to lift that burden. It was an enlightened step.

Now rape victims will not be charged at all. If their insurance covers part of the costs, the state will settle with hospitals for the remainder. Those who are uninsured will be covered by the state's Rape Victims Assistance Program.

The reality that those who already were suffering had the additional worry of dealing with some of the expense necessary to determine the nature of the attack and who had attacked them was seen by lawmakers, appropriately, as outrageous. So they added extra money to funds set aside to cover the costs of rape kit exams.

The costs have been considerable. The average bill to the state last year for rape kit exam services for the uninsured was $1,600. The state will cap that at $800, and those who are insured will not have to pay deductibles and co-payments. This is humane. Crime victims should be spared any costs associated with the investigation of the crime.

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