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Mariska Hargitay Advocates for Sexual Assault Survivors During DNC 2020 Speech - Watch Now

Mariska Hargitay Advocates for Sexual Assault Survivors During DNC 2020 Speech - Watch Now

Mariska Hargitay has an important message to share while speaking at the 2020 Democratic National Convention.

The 56-year-old Law & Order: SVU actress made gave a virtual speech during the event on Wednesday (August 19) where she advocated for sexual assault survivors.

“When I started doing research to play Detective Olivia Benson on Law & Order: SVU over 20 years ago, I was shocked to find out how many people, including children, experience physical or sexual abuse,” Mariska shared. “The statistics fueled my resolve, and I committed myself to the movement to end this violence.”

Mariska spoke alongside the CEO and President of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence Ruth Glenn, who is urging Congress to “reauthorize and enhance” the Violence Against Women Act, which then-Senator Joe Biden wrote and introduced in 1990.

In 2004, Mariska started the Joyful Heart Foundation, which aims to educate and empower survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse.

“I created the Joyful Heart Foundation to help survivors heal, and to change the way our society responds to sexual violence,” Mariska said. “The vice president has worked tirelessly by our side to end the backlog of hundreds of thousands of untested rape kits. And our work will continue because testing kits not only makes our country safer, but it sends a vital message to survivors that what happened to them matters.”

You can check out our coverage of the 2020 DNC here.

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Photos: Getty Images
Posted to: 2020 DNC Convention, Mariska Hargitay, Politics, Video