The Emmy Award-winning actress and philanthropist (and star of one of my favorite TV shows of all time, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) Mariska Hargitay has been involved with charities for years now. She founded the Joyful Heart Foundation for survivors of sexual assault, child abuse, and domestic violence and campaigned for the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. As a part of NO MORE Day on Wednesday, she spoke at the National Press Club about sexual assault, domestic violence, and the rape kit backlog which is allowing rapists to get away with their crimes. An emotional speech for Hargitay, she addresses many upsetting statistics surrounding sex crimes, but most importantly the fact that hundreds of thousands of rape kits are currently untested in police and crime lab storage facilities. Learn more about the backlog here and watch the video below.
Photo via Riccardo Savi
