Celeb: Actress Mariska Hargitay, known for her longstanding role as Detective Olivia Benson on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” and president/founder of The Joyful Heart Foundation, an organization that aims to change societal response to sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse.
Scene: Sexual assault victims provided tearful testimonies to representatives Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), Annie Kuster (D-N.H.), Patrick Meehan (R-Pa.), and David Joyce (R-Ohio), co-chairs of the task force, and other representatives, including Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) who brought along her daughter who is heading off to college one week from today. Hargitay, whose role on “SVU” exposed her to the issues of sexual assault and abuse, stressed the need to change the conversation of consent and victim blaming, and to make sure rape kits are actually being tested so justice can be served.
Sound bite: “These are not kits sitting on a shelf. These are people’s lives sitting on a shelf. Getting derailed,” she said.