Mariska Hargitay
To millions of TV viewers, Mariska Hargitay is Olivia Benson, the tough but compassionate NYPD captain who has been tackling crimes for the past 26 years on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Away from the cameras, Hargitay channels that same fierce dedication into her real-world role as a powerful advocate for survivors of sexual assault.
Hargitay's Joyful Heart Foundation, which she launched in 2004, focuses on changing the way society responds to survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse through education, advocacy, and strategic grants. Since 2010, it has prioritized tackling the vast backlog of untested rape kits in the U.S.—crucial DNA evidence that is often left unprocessed, which can delay justice and potentially allow repeat offenders to remain free. Through its End the Backlog campaign, the foundation has identified tens of thousands of untested kits, funded training to clear the backlog, and driven policy changes. Its six pillars of reform—which include mandating statewide kit tracking, testing timelines, and victim notifications—have now been fully adopted by 21 states and the District of Columbia, with 11 others close behind.
In 2024, Hargitay shared a more personal connection to her foundation's work. In an essay published by People, Hargitay revealed that she had been raped by a then-friend when she was in her 30s—a fact that took her decades to come to terms with. 'I couldn't process it,' she wrote. 'I was building Joyful Heart on the outside so I could do the work on the inside.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Gun violence is directly challenged by teen-owned businesses
CONCOURSE, The Bronx (PIX11) — June is Gun Violence Awareness Month, and while some new statistics from the NYPD show significant — and even record-breaking — progress in the fight against gun crimes, some other information from the police shows that there's still much work to do. That was the upshot of a gun violence awareness event organized by leaders of government, law enforcement, and education in The Bronx on Monday, in Lou Gehrig Plaza, on 161st Street. More Local News But right across the street, in Bronx Borough Hall, another event took place that's meant to both counter and reduce crimes involving gun shooting. It was all happening exactly three weeks after a stray bullet took the life of Evette Jeffrey, a 16-year-old innocent bystander in a schoolyard in the Morrisania section of the Bronx. One of the leaders of the gun violence awareness rally spoke about the tragedy directly. 'As a mother, as an educator, and a lifelong Bronxite,' said Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos, 'this hit home.' Aviles-Ramos joined with Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, District Attorney Darcel Clark, NYPD Assistant Chief Benjamin Gurley, and violence interruption groups at the Gun Violence Awareness Month launch event. It happened at the same time that the city reported its lowest number of homicides in any five-month period ever, as well as recording a 21 percent drop in shootings this year, citywide. Still, said Assistant Chief Benjamin Gurley, the highest ranking NYPD officer in the Bronx, 'There's so much work to do, because we also see that there are a lot of guns in the street. [There are also] a lot of shots fired, and those are just shootings that missed,' Gurley said at the gun violence awareness event. He was referring to stats like the following, which the NYPD released at the same time as its record low homicide numbers: shooting incidents are up 30.8 percent in the Bronx's 40th Precinct this year, and up more than 112 percent in the last two years; there was a 200 percent increase in shootings — from 1 to 3 — in the last week of May in the 42nd Precinct in the Bronx. A big part of the problem, according to District Attorney Darcel Clark, 'It's just so much more rampant that the younger kids are getting the guns now.' She said that with each passing year since 2018, when state law raised the minimum age for adult sentencing to 18 from 16, there has been a higher incidence of early teens committing gun crimes. Drawing attention to that, as well as other gun violence issues, is why violence interruptors and city leaders are encouraging people to wear orange, the color of the gun violence awareness campaign. Across the street from the launch event, inside Bronx Borough Hall, the color was seen on the chests of young people at tables lining the perimeters of the building's cavernous central hall. It was the presentation of teen entrepreneurs' business projects, as they received grants from the city to fund them. More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State Councilmembers Kevin Riley and Althea Stewart helped secure grants ranging from $500 to $5,000 for about two dozen businesses and non-profits started by Bronx-based high schoolers. They were on hand for the Monday fair, with their orange ribbons pinned to their blouses, shirts, and sweaters. 'It's supposed to symbolize anti-gun violence month,' said Shania Mayfield, a senior at the Academy of Scholarship and Entrepreneurship, in the Wakefield section of the borough. She was at the fair, at a table displaying the work of the non-profit she founded with fellow senior Kayla Moore, who was seated beside her. Guardian Angels Tutoring Services, Inc. is the non-profit they founded. It trains and schedules tutoring and mentoring services. Its purpose, said Moore, is that 'students can have something to do after school, and it's something where they can earn money, while helping other people.' The fair and the program in which they're involved are run by the organization Parents Uplifting our Daughters and Sons, or PUDS. Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson went to the fair right after leading the gun violence awareness rally across the street. She said that just as important as gun violence awareness is the promotion of teens' business skills. They're an antidote to the violence, she said. '[It gives] young people opportunities to be successful,' Gibson said in an interview, 'where they don't have to think about engaging in negative behavior.' Jamila Davis, the founder of PUDS, said that the entrepreneur grants are given out at the end of the school year, strategically. It's right before the summer season, which tends to be the busiest time for teen entrepreneurs' sales. That busy sales season comes at the same time as the city typically sees a rise in gun violence. In other words, said organizers of both the Gun Violence Awareness Month launch and the teen entrepreneurs' fair, the teens' businesses directly counter gun violence in the borough. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Worker, 70, attacked during robbery in SI jewelry store
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. (PIX11) — A 70-year-old worker was attacked during a robbery in a Staten Island jewelry store on Friday afternoon, police said. The robbers allegedly hit the woman in the head before stealing around $5,000 in jewelry from the display case in the store at 302 New Dorp Lane at around 4 p.m., according to the NYPD. More Local News The woman told PIX11 News she was filling in while the owner was away on vacation. 'They didn't say anything when he came in, they carried the stick. He hit me with the stick,' the worker said. The suspects were dressed in all black when they walked into the store with a large bag, according to police and surveillance video. Neighborhood residents were shocked by the brazen daytime robbery. 'What happened to my country, in broad day light they don't give a crap, they don't care,' a 94-year-old resident told PIX11 News. The worker was taken to the hospital for treatment. There have been no arrests. Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the NYC area for more than a decade. She has been with PIX11 News for two years. See more of her work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
NYC officials respond to terror attack in Boulder
NEW YORK (PIX11) — A tense time for the Jewish community in New York City and around the country as the latest terror attack coincides with the Jewish holiday on Monday and Tuesday. Mayor Adams says while there are no credible threats against New York's Jewish community, the NYPD is stepping up security at religious sites around the city. More Local News The suspect in Sunday's attack in Boulder, Colorado, is under arrest. Witnesses described him throwing Molotov cocktails into a peaceful rally for the release of hostages being held in Gaza. Twelve people were injured in the attack. At least two of the victims are in critical condition. The Department of Homeland Security says the suspect, 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, had been living illegally in the U.S. since his visa expired in 2023. The attack comes just two weeks after the deadly terrorist shooting of two Israeli Embassy workers in Washington, D.C. Joshua Kramer with the American Jewish Committee says the Jewish community in the city and around the country is reeling and calls on everyday people to stand up against hate. The NYPD posted the following statement on social media: 'We are monitoring the horrific attack in Colorado targeting an event for Israeli hostages. The NYPD has already increased our presence at religious sites throughout NYC for Shavuot with high visibility patrols and heavy weapons teams. We will continue to track this closely.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
