Mariska Hargitay
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
Associated Press
41 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Belgium questions 2 Israelis at music festival over Gaza crime allegations
BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgian police questioned two members of the Israeli army who were attending a music festival in Belgium over allegations of serious violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza, the Federal Prosecutor's Office in Brussels said in a statement Monday. In a statement to The Associated Press, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said an Israeli citizen and an Israeli soldier who were on vacation in Belgium 'were taken in yesterday for interrogation and were released shortly afterward.' It said Israeli authorities 'dealt with this issue and are in touch with the two.' It was not immediately clear why the Israeli Foreign Ministry referred to one civilian and one soldier, while Belgian prosecutors spoke of two Israeli army members. The whereabouts of the two people who were questioned was not immediately clear. The case was hailed as a 'turning point in the global pursuit of accountability' by a Belgium-based group called the Hind Rajab Foundation, which has campaigned for the arrest of Israeli troops it accuses of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The group was named for a young girl who Palestinians say was killed early in the war by Israeli fire as she and her family fled Gaza City. Israel says its forces follow international law and try to avoid harming civilians, and that it investigates allegations of wrongdoing. In a written statement, the prosecutor's office said that the two army members — who were in Belgium for the Tomorrowland festival — were questioned after the office received legal complaints on Friday and Saturday from the Hind Rajab Foundation and another group. The prosecution office requested the questioning after an initial assessment of the complaints 'determined that it potentially had jurisdiction.' The Hind Rajab foundation said it filed its complaints along with the rights group Global Legal Action Network. The decision to question the two Israelis was based on an article in Belgium's Code of Criminal Procedure that went into force last year and grants Belgian courts jurisdiction over acts overseas that are potentially governed by an international treaty, in this case the 1949 Geneva Conventions and the 1984 United Nations convention against torture, the prosecution statement said. 'In light of this potential jurisdiction, the Federal Prosecutor's Office requested the police to locate and interrogate the two individuals named in the complaint. Following these interrogations, they were released,' the statement said, without elaborating. It said it was not providing any further information at this stage of its investigation. The news in Belgium came as the U.N. food agency accused Israel of using tanks, snipers and other weapons to fire on a crowd of Palestinians seeking food aid, in what the territory's Health Ministry said was one of the deadliest days for aid-seekers in over 21 months of war. The death toll in war-ravaged Gaza has climbed to more than 59,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Its count doesn't distinguish between militants and civilians but the ministry says more than half of the dead are women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas government, but the U.N. and other international organizations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties. Since forming last year, the Hind Rajab Foundation has made dozens of complaints in more than 10 countries to arrest both low-level and high-ranking Israeli soldiers. 'We will continue to support the ongoing proceedings and call on Belgian authorities to pursue the investigation fully and independently,' the group said in a statement. 'Justice must not stop here — and we are committed to seeing it through.' ____ Melanie Lidman and Isaac Scharf in Jerusalem contributed to this report.
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Alleged anti-Israel arsonist accused of torching 11 NYPD cars arrested by feds: sources
An alleged anti-Israel menace accused of torching nearly a dozen NYPD cars was arrested by the feds Monday after a month-long manhunt, law enforcement sources told The Post. Jakhi Lodgson-McCray, 21, turned himself in to authorities after cops alleged the 'Free Palestine' protester set fire to 11 squad cars in a Brooklyn parking lot on June 12 — causing at least $800,000 in damage, the sources said. He turned himself into the feds and is expected to go before a federal judge later Monday, sources said. 3 Jakhi Lodgson-McCray is suspected in the arson fire of 11 NYPD vehicles and damage to a Columbia University statue. DCPI It comes after the NYPD had blasted out his photo in the wake of the fiery saga and offered up a $30,000 reward for details on his whereabouts. 'We have him on video for about 40 minutes prior to the incident. He is by himself, and, like I said, a substantial video canvass after the fact, where we track him all the way back to Manhattan,' NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said last month. In addition to the arson attack, the suspect — who already had a string of protest-related arrests to his name — also allegedly wrecked a statue during a rowdy Columbia University protest last September, police said. 'He's also wanted for a criminal mischief incident in Columbia University back in September, where he disguised himself as a student and caused over $1,000 of damage to a statue on the campus,' Kenny said. 'We believe, based on his social media, that he's very active in the protest community, involving the Free Palestine movement.' 3 Police said 11 NYPD vehicles torched in Brooklyn on June 12 will cost at least $800,000 to replace. Gabriella Bass 3 Surveillance footage captured the suspect walking into a local bodega after allegedly torching NYPD cars. DCPI Lodgson-McCray's arrest history dates back to January 2023, according to records. He was also previously busted for resisting arrest at an anti-ICE protest earlier year, as well as a series of protest-related busts that included burning a flag at a city embassy and at several anti-Israeli demonstrations.
New York Times
3 hours ago
- New York Times
Corrections: July 19, 2025
An article on Wednesday about an excavation in Ireland where the remains of hundreds of children are thought to have been buried described incorrectly the location of some disposed bodies. It was an old sewage system, not septic tanks. The headline of an article on Friday about an N.Y.P.D. officer accused of theft incorrectly described his employment status. He is still employed by the department, but has been suspended without pay. An article on Thursday about the Chinese A.I. industry misquoted Jia Haojun, the founder of Deep Principle. He said it would be a huge benefit if the government helped cover '13 to 15 percent' of early-stage research costs, not '10 to 15 percent.' Errors are corrected during the press run whenever possible, so some errors noted here may not have appeared in all editions. To contact the newsroom regarding correction requests, please email nytnews@ To share feedback, please visit Comments on opinion articles may be emailed to letters@ For newspaper delivery questions: 1-800-NYTIMES (1-800-698-4637) or email customercare@
