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EventsThe Joyful Heart Foundation is committed to raising awareness about the rape kit backlog and our community's collected response to survivors of sexual violence.
Previous Events
Supporters Sign over 400 Letters Calling for Comprehensive, Compassionate
At the Fourth Annual Joyful Revolution Gala in New York City hundreds of Joyful Heart supporters gathered to honor Joyful Heart's work to heal, and empower survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse. The literal centerpiece of much of the evening in the area was a letter writing campaign, through with attendees signed letters addressed to members of the executive and legislative branches of the federal government, each one asking for their leadership to end the rape kit backlog. By the end of the evening, over 400 letters were signed-almost one for each guest in attendance. They arrived to the offices of Vice President Joe Biden, Attorney General ERic Holder, the Chairmen of the Senate and House Judiciary Committees-Senator Patrick Leahy and Representative Lamar Smith, respectively-and dozens of individual representatives with a message that we support comprehensive, compassionate and victim-centered rape kit reform from the federal government.
Across the Nation on NBC On September 29th at 9pm/8c, a special episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, entitled "Behave," aired on NBC. This episode shines a light on the backlog of untested rape kits across the country. It is estimated by the federal government that there are hundreds of thousands of untested rape kits in police and crime lab storage facilities. Each represents lost justice for a survivor. In honor of the premiere, Joyful Heart hosted viewing events in Los Angeles and New York.
Read more about the events on the Joyful Heart website.
Mariska Hargitay, Joyful Heart Founder & President, testified on the rape kit backlog before the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. It was a watershed moment in the ongoing movement to shed light on this issue and eliminate the backlog of hundreds of thousands of untested rape kits in this country. Mariska added her voice to a chorus of activists, experts, survivors, and legislators pressing lawmakers to support victim-centered reforms, and urging legislators to prevent future backlogs. Most significantly, she stressed the importance of keeping survivors at the center of the dialogue.
Read more on the Joyful Heart website here.
Ahead of her testimony to Congress on the rape kit backlog, Mariska Hargitay met with United States Attorney General, Eric Holder. In this 15th Anniversary year of the Violence Against Women Act, Mariska thanked Mr. Holder for the work he has done to combat violence against women and elevate the national conversation about the issue. The Associate Attorney General, Thomas J. Perelli, also attended the meeting, as did Joyful Heart Executive Director Maile Zambuto, Melissa Schwartz, the U.S. Department of Justice Public Affairs Specialist, and Peter Hermann, Mariska's husband and a Joyful Heart Board Member.
Read more on the Joyful Heart website here.
Mariska Hargitay, accompanied by Joyful Heart Board members, staff and other guests, joined more than 450 civic and community leaders at Peace Over Violence's 38th Annual Humanitarian Awards Dinner. The event, held at The Beverly Hills Hotel, recognized the contributions of leaders across sectors in the fight against sexual and domestic violence, including Sarah Tofte for her work on increasing awareness of the rape kit backlog.
Read more on the Joyful Heart website here.
Medical experts, legal professionals, survivors of sexual assault and advocates, including staff and Board members from the Joyful Heart Foundation, joined New York State Deputy Secretary for Public Safety Denise E. O'Donnell at St. Luke's - Roosevelt Hospital in unveiling a new "rape kit" training video. The new video, A Body of Evidence: Using the NYS Sexual Offense Evidence Collection Kit, was designed for medical professionals to ensure that the inherently intrusive sexual assault evidence exam is less traumatic for victims and more productive for law enforcement. |
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