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‘Law and Order: SVU’ star Mariska Hargitay helped solve thousands of real-life rape cases

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'Law and Order: SVU' star Mariska Hargitay helped solve thousands of real-life rape cases

As I delve deeper into the inspiring stories that grace our world, few have captured my heart quite like Mariska Hargitay. Her life’s work, both on and off-screen, is a testament to compassion, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to justice.

Mariska Hargitay’s crime-solving efforts have gone off-screen.

As a devoted fan, I’d like to share my appreciation for Mariska Hargitay’s remarkable portrayal of Detective Olivia Benson on NBC’s “Law & Order: SVU.” Her character is dedicated to uncovering the truth behind sex-related crimes in Manhattan. Interestingly, what I found even more inspiring is her real-life efforts off-screen. It turns out that she’s been instrumental in addressing a significant issue – the national rape kit backlog. This intriguing detail was brought to light during a Thursday episode of the “Dateline: True Crime Weekly” podcast.

The podcast narrates the tale of Detroit prosecutor Kym Worthy, who unearthed approximately 11,000 unprocessed rape kits in a police storage room back in 2009. Each kit symbolized a reported sexual assault to the Detroit Police Department, spanning the years from 1984 to 2009, as Andrea Canning, the podcast host, explained.

Determined by the police’s disregard for what appeared to be a crime scene, Worthy saw it as her personal goal to have the evidence kits analyzed. However, each test costing between $1,200 and $1,500 meant potential expenses in the tens of millions, according to Worthy. She launched a fundraising effort to cover these costs, but unfortunately, it fell short.

That’s when Hargitay stepped in.

In 2017, the acclaimed actress, longtime advocate for sexual assault survivors via her charity Joyful Heart Foundation, appeared before Congress alongside Worthy to discuss improving the handling of rape kits across the United States.

Following our testimonies, I found myself expressing a desire for her to join us in Detroit, which she agreed to do. True to her word, she made the trip.

“At a breakfast gathering, I welcomed legislators who hadn’t been responding to my phone calls. Surprisingly, one of them showed up and posed for photos with everyone present. Let me emphasize that the legislation crucial for our issue in Michigan passed effortlessly as a result.”

After 13 years of continuous fundraising and advocacy efforts, they managed to test every one of the 11,000 kits by fall 2022. This led to the resolution of over 5,000 cases, and they even identified 22 serial rapists. During a Tuesday interview with Today, Canning shared this information.

“Canning stated that the impact is spreading nationwide like ripples in a pond,” he said. “It’s causing alterations everywhere, affecting police departments and prosecutors’ offices alike.”

2018 HBO documentary “I Am Evidence” provides a comprehensive look at the work done by Worthy and Hargitay, with Hargitay serving as its producer and making an appearance in it as well.

In the movie, Hargitay admits that they were unaware of this issue, just like many others. However, upon encountering individuals such as Kym Worthy and witnessing their efforts, one can’t help but question one’s own actions.

On the project, Mariska Hargitay’s fellow workers, Trish Adlesic and Geeta Gandbhir, commended her for providing a podium to advocates such as Worthy.

“Adlesic stated that she is a remarkable figure, using all her influence to bring clarity to issues like sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse, which are often shrouded in darkness.”

“Gandbhir noted that she repeatedly viewed the movie multiple times to ensure every detail was perfect, demonstrating an exceptional level of dedication and personal investment, as she took a meticulous approach in her role.”

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2024-08-17 01:31

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